Do not question
by Haxong
Summary: The heir of Slytherin is on the loose once again and a certain Potter has very special plans for him already. After all there's no way he's going to share his favorite pet with a scrawny teenager.
1. Learning how to notch

And here it is, the sequel to "To to hell with the Original!"

I propose you read the first fanfic before starting here... it might get too confusing. If you don't want to, here is a short summary.

Charles Potter, a Slytherin to the core, twin brother of Harry but really just another HP-Hater being thrown into the potterverse, managed to somehow defeat Quirrelmort and still make him believe that he wasn't an enemy. While the school is celebrating him as the hero he is already plotting for his second year. Knowing the heir of Slytherin would make his return he already made sure to befriend the basilisk, steal some useful artifacts and gather his own flock of followers, eh, I mean _friends_. However he's slowly weaving a thick web of lies around his own person. He has knowledge of the future and the past, excellent acting skills and a far too mature mind for a kid his age. But if you asked ten diffrent people why that is you would get ten diffrent answers. None of them know the truth.

* * *

I should have known that it had been to good to be true. One was simply not able to calculate all variables in a plan as complex as the one I had. I had thought I prepared for all eventualities. Making sure Moldyshorts didn't see me as his enemy right away. Ensuring the blood protection worked on me but making it so Moldyshorts wouldn't know if it _was _a blood protection or just an awesome power his horcrux possessed. Having an explanation for Snape. Confunding Harry.

Of all the things it was last one that came back to bite me in the ass.

I had learned several useful little spells that were taught to older students only but I had little experience with them. Also I hadn't wanted to risk messing Harrys brain up completely. Since he hadn't said anything I had assumed the spell worked just fine. It did not.

Once we were back at the Dursleys, unpacking our luggage, Harry cornered me with a determined expression.

"Charles, I have to talk to you", he said calmly. That was never a good sign. Harry was rarely ever calm except when he had planned something thoroughly.

"If it's about this weeks dish duty you can take that if you'd like", I said with a wry smile.

"Not about that", he whispered. "I want o talk about what happened at the end of the year."

I sighed and brushed my hair out of my eyes as an excuse to avert my gaze. "You already thanked me once, be done with it."

"I didn't say anything."  
"What?"

"I didn't say anything to Dumbldedore... or any other teacher. About what you said to Voldemort."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I wasn't sure exactly how much he remembered so I had to be careful with what I said.

"Your friends?"  
Harry shook his head. "I told no one."

I nodded at him. "Thanks, I suppose." Before I could get away though he grabbed my arm to stop me.

"But I want answers now, Charles! Why did you talk to him as if you wanted to join him? And why did he _believe_ you?"

I watched his expression closely, looking out for feelings of betrayal, hurt or anger. Yes, I found traces of those but above all Harry was confused.

"You know what I am", I said quietly. "You know about my visions. They've been getting stronger."  
"What does that mean?", he wanted to know. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"By stronger I don't mean more clearly. I mean that I'm getting them more often. Sometimes there are moments now when I see more then only one possible future. The things I said to Voldemort... I honestly cannot tell you what they meant because I don't know it myself. I just saw that if I spoke those exact words we'd get out of there alive."

Harry released my arm and watched me closely. "You... You didn't mean any of it?"  
"Of course not. I'm your brother, Harry, I would never seriously hurt you."

A weak smile found its way on his face. How easy it was to fool these children!

"If there's something else", I said after the silence got awkward, "better say it now. I'll be taking a trip soon and I'm not sure if we'll be seeing each other before school starts again."

"A trip? But where are you going?"

"Visiting friends, of course. Isn't that what you have in mind too?"  
"Well, Ron did invite me over..."  
"See? No chance we're staying here just one second longer then necessary. Not now that they know that we know about magic."

I left Harry to ponder over that before retreating to my room. It was true that I didn't plan on staying here for more then a few hours if I had my way. But first I had to test a few theories.

"Notch", I called and with a _crack _the little elf appeared.

"Master has called Notch?", he said with his high voice.

I ignored him and went to the window. No owl to be seen. The house elves form of apparition didn't trigger the ministry wards. That had been to be expected.

I pointed over at my trunk. "Notch, I want you to open my trunk and sort my clothes into my wardrobe by letting them float."

Without thinking twice Notch did as he was told. While my shirts and trousers whirled through the air I continued to search for a ministry owl at the window. Nothing was to be seen. The owl had come very quickly in the second book. I guessed that meant that house elf magic was okay. The trigger in the book had come either from the spell being performed in front of the muggles or because Dobby had somehow made it so it would be registered.

"Notch, do you have any means of making yourself invisible or unnoticeable?", I asked when I was sure no letter was coming.

"Notch is a good house elf", the little creature replied happily. "Good house elves are not to be seen while working."

"Then why can I still see you?"

The elf jumped a little. "Notch is sorry, master! So sorry!" And just like that he was gone. The clothes continued to fold themselves and hover into the wardrobe but I couldn't see Notch. I turned around, scanning the room carefully – and there he was, laying under my bed, pointing at the clothes. But I just caught him for a second or so before he was gone again. I needed half a minute to find him hiding behind my desk, and then another five to notice he was somehow attached to a dark corner of the bloody ceiling.

Notch was not invisible but aside from being generally hard to spot there was also something to him that made me avert my gaze every time. As soon as I thought about something else his mere presence slipped my mind. It's like those times you walk into a café and only notice the waitress serving you. Once you sit down you would not be able to remember the other two that were working in the background, besides having seen them. It had to be a very clever notice-me-not charm.

"Notch", I called again and this time there was no noise when the elf suddenly appeared in front of me.

"I want you to go down into the kitchen and prepare fried potatoes for dinner and bring it here. You have to use magic doing the task but _don't _let yourself be seen!"

Again the elf did as ordered. Just ten minutes later a full meal was being placed on my desk. I wouldn't even have noticed if it weren't for the delicious smell. I knew that Vernon and Dudley were downstairs in the living room and that the door to the kitchen was always open so the could get to the fridge faster. Still no owl meant that house elf magic was okay in front of muggles, as long as they didn't see it. Maybe as long as those muggles knew about magic too, I couldn't be sure of that. Let's check it out.

The next time I called the elf I ordered him to bring me to a corner of Diagon Alley where we wouldn't be seen. Shyly the elf took my hand and with a sickening twist that made me wish I hadn't eaten the potatoes my room turned into a busy street.

I stayed there in the small space between two shops for almost ten minutes until I decided it was save to assume the magic had, once again, not been picked up by the ministry.

From there on I continued to test exactly how far the elf's abilities reached.

I made him apparate me to Hogwarts, right through the wards on top of the astronomy tower. I made him apparate me into my vault in Gringotts. I wanted to make him apparate me into Lestranges' vault but he said he couldn't. Now that was interesting. At least goblins seemed to have some kind of wards against house elves, making it so they could only reach the vault of their masters.

I made Notch apparate me into a muggle environment. I made him making a park bench float where it could be seen by muggles, who could see neither Notch nor myself. I made him grab my hand and apparate me out of a full restaurant where people were _bound _to see me – although I took care to wear a shirt with a hood that concealed my face completely and Notch was hidden under the invisibility cloak. Those incidents were bound to call the ministry but if my theory was right and Notch's magic couldn't be picked up it meant they had to rely on questioning the muggles in order to get the culprit.

At the end of the day I still hadn't received a single warning. That made me braver and I decided to go a step further.

The next day I continued to experiment but this time I wanted to do magic myself. The trace was definitely on my wand, that much I knew from the books. However it could still not say who cast a spell since Dobby had been able to blame Harry. Therefore the ministry must have some kind of detection wards over Privet Drive, or more likely every muggleborns house. Any magic being picked up there without another wizard nearby would be contributed to the muggleborn. The wand trace could be a backup plan for the wizarding children. People would have to report them directly, after which their wands would be tested. It was likely that they left it to the parents to make sure their children didn't do magic outside of Hogwarts. It was how I thought the trace worked and I was going to test it. If I was wrong and they expelled me – hey, I had skipped two classes in muggle school, I could easily continue where I left before.

First thing in the morning I used Notch to get to Diagon Alley again and with somewhat shaky hands I pulled out my wand, still obscured in my corner and cast a simple hovering charm on a nearby rock.

Nothing.

This place was so full of magic that my little spell didn't trigger any alarms.

"Notch", I said to the small elf while pulling out my invisibility cloak. "I want you to bring me to the Burrow, the home of the Weasley family. The backyard will be enough. Can you do that?"

Notch seemed to concentrate hard on something, before he nodded. He had been confused the other day about the odd commands I gave him, but by now he didn't question them anymore.

Notch took my hand and a second later we were at the Burrow. I would've liked to try this at Malfoy Manor but while the wards there didn't pick up house elves I wasn't so sure about a foreign wizard suddenly appearing in their backyard.

I was able to perform magic at the Burrow too without any disruptions except for the laughter I could hear from the house itself. It was confirmed yet again; using magic was alright as long as there were other wizards around. That made my life a whole lot easier.

There was one thing I hadn't tried out and that was doing magic in a muggle environment. Whenever the ministry picked up the place through your wand or person they had to have means to check this. However it was questionable if the trace could pick that up when you were in another country. I had read about such laws in the Hogwarts library and Durmstrang students for example were not only allowed but encouraged to practice magic during holidays.

Notch was able to bring me to random place in Spain just as easily as he'd brought me to Hogwarts. There I spend a solid hour standing on a busy place in a random town and performing magic tricks, using cards and top hats and rabbits, pretending to be a muggle who pretended to be a wizards. The whole time I used real magic to conjure, banish, summon and let things float, earning quite a bit of cash that way. And no ministry letter. I couldn't get the grin off my face for the rest of the day.

First thing the next day I went to Gringotts to ask if it was possible to store things in my vault without my brother having the means to get or even see them. They pointed me in the direction of a magical trunk maker who sold me a huge chest that had dozens of expanding and security charms on it. Notch had stored my trunk, including wardrobe, broom, cloak, Philosophers Stone and everything else valuable in that chest. I didn't even carry that much money with me, Notch could just get it for me after all.

My next stop was a small shop in Knockturn Alley that sold potions. I stocked up on aging and de-aging potion, voice-changing and translation potions as well as some basic healing and pepper ups. Also I brought larger robes at Madam Malkins, who didn't recognize me once I had vanished my scar and changed my eye and hair color. Then I went home, undressed and drank the aging potion, making me appear to be at least 35 years old. With the trace being out of my way and the fame of Charles Potter being dealt with I was ready to begin my vacation.

"Notch", I said to the elf, smiling a little, "prepare yourself, we are going on a journey."

"Where does master want to go?", The elf asked, already having figured out that he was my transportation means.

"Paris", I decided, "our first stop will be Paris."

* * *

Every magical community had its dark underground. And in every country that underground had some kind of specialty. The British underground had a reputation of being violent and not exactly subtle. The main problem was the use of the three Unforgivables. Those curses were that popular in no other country. I had first stumbled over that noticing that the use of an Unforgivable granted you a life sentence in Azkaban – but Azkaban was a British prison. If the curses were internationally banned it would say a life sentence in prison generally, wouldn't it? But using the Avada Kedavra for example was actually treated as a light case of murder in Russia. It was considered mercy to be killed with such a painless spell. Killing someone with _Incendio _or a Slashing curse to the neck was punished a lot harder.

Everyone knew Vampires made out the main underground of Rumania, werewolves posed a strong threat in Italy. Ireland was plagued by banshees, and Spain had a flourishing black market for illegal potions. Germany had to fight with mercenaries and contract killers, leftovers from the war with Grindelwald who made sure wizards raised their sons to be battle mages. Some of those traditions did still exist. Greece dark wizards were running illegal experiments on humans, trying to improve their bodies and magic by combining them with magical races. They also had a lot of ancient buildings, temples and tombs left filled with horrendous curses, as did Egypt. The Russians were a bit traditional in that they still practiced dueling openly, going as far as allowing a feud to be carried out in a life or death duel. What was special at that was that they used muggle weapons in their duels too sometimes. Albania, unsurprisingly, had a huge ring of smugglers in the magical artifact department.

All of this was knowledge that wasn't exactly kept a secret. I found out about it just browsing through old newspapers. You had to search for it but with the help of Hermione it had been no trouble.

The reason I started in France was because its underground was famous for its Necromancers. France, in medieval times, had lacked in the medical and potions department and thus the Black Death had killed more magical folk there then anywhere else. Mourning their dead ones the wizards had build underground catacombs to bury them under almost every town. Most of them were unknown to the muggles still. Since the main problem for a Necromancer was to get a sufficient amount of dead bodies without being caught, France was an excellent place for their shady ventures. It was the perfect place for a nice vacation.

* * *

Reviews are very welcome. They make me write faster. Occasionally.


	2. Meeting a Necromancer

Paris' equivalent of Knockturn Alley was a lot cleaner then its counterpart. Rue Noir was not a busy place during daytime but as soon as the sun sank under the horizon you could see more and more figures appearing from hidden corners, from the shadows under the roofs and narrow side alleys. I had appeared at its entrance during midday after drinking an aging and translation potion and brought myself a room in a nearby inn. The rest of the day I had been training with Notch. He was to apparate me from one end of the alley to the other as quietly as possible. He needed more concentration to apparate without the loud _crack _but he could if I just glared fiercely enough at him. It had the added effect of me slowly becoming immune to the effects of magical transportation, though I still emptied my stomach occasionally. After some time I felt ready to take matters to the next state.

"Do you see this group over there?", I whispered to a shady corner between a couple of trash bags where Notch, as invisible as possible for him, was hiding. The group of four wizards looked extremely ragged but they were watching the people who passed them carefully and looked ready to jump into action any time. I had no doubt they were bandits waiting for an easy victim.

"I will encounter them and pick a fight", I whispered. "The moment I say '_Nochsha' _you will apparate directly next to me, grab me and apparate into my Gringotts vault." It was simply parsel for 'Notch, come', but to any non-parselmouth it would seem like a spell. "I don't want to have any time delay whatsoever, is that clear? As soon as we're there you will apparate me back directly to the exact same location, only five meters away in the direction I tell you, which will be either north, south, east or west. If I don't say anything, wait for further instructions. It is important that you act so fast that those wizards can not see you."

"Notch is not sure if he can do that", the elf said fearfully.

"You better try hard", I sneered. "Else I will be robbed and probably seriously hurt too." I cast a quick point me to determine where in the layout of the alley north was. If Notch was apparating fast enough not to be seen he would have little to no time to check where north was either but I was counting on the house elves magic for that. If their master called they appeared, they did not have to know where they were for that to happen. No one could really explain that but it seemed it worked both ways. You could sent an elf off to a place you didn't know the exact coordinates of and he would appear there. I could hardly believe that nobody had explored their talents before that way.

Under extreme stress like threat to their master, the magic of house elves experienced an additional boost and made things that were normally too hard or demanded too much concentration to be effective far easier for them. In short I was confident that my elf would manage.

"Stay until I call you", I said before going to approach the group.

I did not want to provoke them verbally. What else was gold there for? While passing the group I 'accidentally' lost a few sickles and stopped to pick them up. Within seconds the wizards were there. They were assuring me they'd want to help me but I kept calling "Non, mercy." Soon they lost their patience and when I grabbed the wrist of one of them who tried to sneak a few coins into his own pockets the atmosphere changed.

The first curse that flew was a simple stinging hex that I blocked with a quick Protego. I used the little time it gave me to orientate myself before whispering: "_Nochsha."_

Immediately I felt the pull of apparition but I didn't even wait to see the golden piles of galleons before me. Not a second went between the next murmured word, which was "South", followed by "Petrificus Totalus!"

I had chosen that spell because it was the most effective I was able to cast. The problem was that the incantation was so long, which made it not really handy in a real fight. However by beginning to mutter the first syllables while still being in the vault that second I needed to complete the spell was enough to orientate myself and aim at the next wizard that I appeared in front of. He dropped to the ground instantly. I stayed to throw a Leg Logger at the wizard next to him, memorized the positions of the other two and _notched _out of the way just in time to avoid a nasty yellow hex.

"West", I whispered, not wasting any time and promptly I was notched back to the alley. This time the distance was slightly off. Overcoming my surprise quickly I aimed a low kick at the knees of the wizard that stood not half a meter in front of me and notched back again.

"West", I said again, I needed more distance. When I appeared again the wizard I had kicked was still lying on the ground, cursing loudly while the other one was throwing flames around in panic. I hit him with an overpowered _aguamenti _straight to the face and he was thrown back from the force of the water jet.

Suddenly I was back in the vault. Only this time I had not called for it.  
"Notch!", I said angrily. The elf appeared in front of me. He was breathing heavily and seemed to be close to a nervous breakdown.  
"Notch is sorry sir! So sorry! The bad wizard whose legs master bound was aiming something dangerous at masters back, sir!"

I calmed down and sat down on my chest, sighing heavily.

"It's alright, Notch. You did well. I may not have been able to take them all out but truth to be told, I wasn't really expecting to. Thanks for watching my back."

Notch's eyes grew as wide as tennis balls.

"Master is so kind and generous! Notch was only doing his duty", he said but I knew he was proud of himself.

"Right. You seem to be pretty tired, though. We'll do this more often to see if your endurance grows. Also I have to brush up on my combat skills a little. For now just bring me back to the inn."

A long day lay before me and I was going to put it to good use. I had practice to do, books to read, people to question and a Necromancer to find.

* * *

Nekrys de Lyon was a very cautious wizard. He had experienced several not so pleasant encounters with the law in the past and now he made sure to check every informant, every customer and every target three, sometimes even four times. He did not like to underestimate his opponents. He had done that mistake before and he had learned from it.

That was one reason why Nekrys (which, of course, was just one of many aliases he used) was sitting in the shabby little pub with his black hood pulled deeply into his face. Shadows obscured it completely and his hair was cut short enough not to stick out either. Paris may have the most easy-going laws about his business but he wasn't about to take any chances.

The waitress in this pub was deaf, or at least she pretended to be and as far as he knew she had never spoken a word either. At least not to any ministry officials. That was why it was one of his favorite meeting places.

Nekrys checked his watch. His informant was late. He was supposed to bring the object at ten o'clock and it was already half past. This did not bode well. He would wait another five minutes and then he would be gone. Acrumantula venom was very hard to get and if he wanted to begin brewing that potion he only had one week to get something. It would be hard, but not impossible. Better then being caught by the ministry.

He shouldn't have trusted that idiot de Sable. He was rascal and nothing else. But beggars, whores and minor rascals had the most success smuggling highly illegal materials like this venom into the town. Since they were so magically potent they could not be transported via apparition, portkey or flooing. Passing them on from one bearer to the other posed a higher risk of the object getting lost but it was less likely to be traced back to him should the ministry interfere.

Again Nekrys looked around, trying not to make it too obvious. There were only two old hags in a corner of the pub and a thin, pale guy who he would bet was a vampire at the bar.

That's it. He was not going to wait any longer.

The french wizard was just about to stand up when the door to the pub opened and a man entered. He carried himself with the confidence of someone who had either no idea where he was or knew it exactly and was feeling at home. The man was tall with slightly unkept black hair and dark brown eyes. His clothes were mostly obscured by a dark traveler cloak. He looked about thirty in age, somewhat plain maybe, in short no one that would catch your eye in a crowd. However when he let his gaze pass the few occupants in the pub his eyes met Nekrys' and the strangest thing happened.

The man smiled – _smirked _he should say and suddenly he had the feeling he had to redeem that first impression. This man was not normal. The way he looked at Nekrys, who was after all a somewhat known dark wizard, it was the way a wolf looked at a rabbit.

_Found you_, his gaze said and Nekrys felt a shiver run down his spine. Under the table he discretely drew his wand.

"Nekrys de Lyon", the stranger whispered, strolling towards his table. "What a pleasure to meet you. And what a coincidence too. Do you mind if I sit down for a minute with you?"

The stranger sat without waiting for a response. Nekrys did not believe for a second that it was a coincidence they met.

Pull yourself together!, he said to himself. He was just nervous because of the raid the ministry was planning on the District. The guild was looking for a traitor. Of course he had never told anyone anything but under these circumstances everyone was a suspect. If this man was a ministry officer and he was being seen talking with him it would be his death. The guild never forgot and never forgave.

"I'm sorry sir, do I know you?", he said as coldly as possible, making sure every spy who might hide in the shadows could hear him.

"Not yet", the man answered, "through I hope to change that." His hand wandered to his pocket and Nekrys was gripping his wand tightly, but he did not attack.

The stranger drew his wand to cast a couple of privacy charms before he pulled out a little wooden chest wrapped in brown paper and put it on the table.

Carefully Nekrys continued to watch his expression which showed nothing but amusement. Finally he grabbed the package and unwrapped it. In the chest he wound five little vials with clear liquid.

"Your friend was in such a hurry earlier", the man whispered, still with that goddamn smirk. "He told me to be nice and deliver this to you."

"Really", he said tonelessly. The smirk became a grin, erasing every doubt about the condition of the original carrier. He could be lucky if he wasn't dead.

Nekrys pocketed the box carefully. It was still not impossible that this man was a ministry officer. He could try to lure him into a trap, to reveal something. But his behavior was very weird. Also his accent was typical for someone who took a translation potion. He was not from around.

"Thanks for helping out", he said politely. "Is there something I can do for you in return?" It was best to play nice for the time being. He had no idea who this guy was or or powerful he was.

The stranger beamed at him. "Now that you ask, there is indeed something", he said, his smirk growing a little bit cruel. "You see, I happen do be a professional curse... breaker but unfortunately I have no experience whatsoever in the subject _you _seem to be quite capable in. I thought that maybe we could share some of our knowledge with each other."

A customer it was then. Nekrys sighed in relief, but reprimanded himself shortly after. He did not make deals with people he did not know or that had at least been recommended to him. Then again, it could explain why this guy went through so much trouble to get his attention.

"What do you need to know, Monsieur...?", he asked.

"Raven", he said after only a second of hesitation. "You may call me Raven."

An Englishmen it was then. At least he had a starting point now.

"There are some dead people who are causing trouble", was the answer. "I want to get rid of them."

"If you're talking about inferi, just lit a good fire", he said angrily. "That should do it."

He waved his words aside. As if inferi were only a mild trouble!  
"Ah, but I'm not talking about inferi. I am talking about ghosts."

Nekrys became very still. "How about asking nicely?"

Raven shook his head. "You cannot talk to that wretched person. Besides it's not just that I don't want it around me. I want it to be _gone._ I want it to be unable to talk to anyone anymore, do you understand?"  
Yes. Yes, Nekrys understood very well. In fact customers like him were the main source of money of the guild. Murderers who were haunted by their victims or afraid they would sell them to the ministry.

It was most certainly not Nekrys' favorite job. He had become a Necromancer to solve the last mystery. To learn what kind of place the afterlife was. He had become a Necromancer to be able to communicate with the dead ones. And maybe – just maybe, to become good enough to try the impossible. What the creation of the Philosophers Stone was for the Alchemists was for him and every other Necromancer the resurrection of the dead. Not as soulless inferi, not as bodiless ghosts – that they could already do. They wanted to bring back the whole person. But thus far no one had ever succeeded. Still Nekrys didn't give up. He had lost too many dear people to do so. That's why he put up with the guild and nasty customers and curses and ministry officers hunting down his kind.

"I'm charging 500 galleons for an exorcism", he said, still watching the man warily. But he shook his head.

"No, I don't want you to exorcise it. I want to be able to do it myself."

Nekrys gave him a hollow laugh. "Impossible." The guild would kill him.

"I am a fast leaner."  
"It's not about that. No one outside of the guild is allowed to know such things."

Nekrys bit his lip, hard. He shouldn't have said that! No one was supposed to know about the guild! Well, it wasn't as if the ministry didn't suspect they were somewhat organized but not as to which extend!

But Raven didn't react to the slip at all.

"Well, that is unfortunate. As you may have figured I'm from Great Britain and we don't have such a competent... group. Are you sure you cannot bargain an exception?"

Nekrys hesitated. His last doubts were gone now, no way this guy was an official.

"I do have something to pay of course. Something that might be more interesting then gold", the stranger whispered. Nekrys began asking himself why he did that when he had seen how he had cast several privacy wards before approaching his table.

"You seem to be interested in rare potions ingredients", the Englishman continued. "I happen to sell some myself but my latest in-between had a rather unfortunate accident involving a pissed off dragon and a small herd of bloodthirsty thestrals. If you give me the knowledge I might provide you with a quite valuable sample. And who knows, maybe we can cooperate in the future again."

Now that caught his interest. Necromancy was a lot about rituals and most rituals required potions. Most of the ingredients that were needed were either rare or illegal, in most cases both. The guild was always looking for new supplier.

"What are you offering?", he asked in his business tone. "I admit, thestral hair is hard to get by but we already have a supplier for that."  
"I'm not talking about thestrals. I'm talking about venom."  
"You have access to more acrumantula venom?"

Raven chuckled. "No, no, it's a far more potent venom."

Nekrys looked at him pensive. There were not many venoms more potent then an acrumantulas. At least not in its undiluted form without any refinements.

"Do you need a tip? It's big, scaly and can win any glaring contest", Raven said smirking.

Nekrys was thankful he was already sitting. Still he paled and for a moment he had to concentrate to make his hands stop shaking.

"A _basilisk!?",_he exclaimed incredulously. "Really? A goddamn freaking _basilisk!?" _

Holding thestrals was not allowed. Hatching a dragon was illegal. But breeding a freaking _basilisk, _that was, that was like being guilty of mass murder! Mass murder of innocent little babies! In fact, Nekrys though he remembered having read that you had to feed young basilisks the intestines of newborn children for them to grow strong.

Of course it was the most potent venom there was in the world. More like acid really. It was so potent in fact that it could melt not only solid material of almost any kind but also it could destroy most magical wards without losing any of its deadliness.

Even if Necromancy was originally meant to be about studying death and trying to reverse it, wizards had not progressed in that direction very far. Instead they had made experiments and researches with soul magic. A lot in his subject was about reconstructing, even healing sometimes. But there was also a part that dealed with destruction. The destruction of souls, to be more precise. Trying to kill a ghost. Trying to destroy a dementor. Trying to prevent people from coming back as a ghost. Exorcising a poltergeist. Basilisk venom was one of the very few things that could destroy a soul. Getting it was of course next to impossible but if you already had it it was the fastest and easiest way of destruction. A single vial of basilisk venom as big as the ones Nekrys got today would be worth a small fortune. But not only that. Raven made it sound as if he didn't have only one sample, but as if he had a enough to start a business relationship with the guild of Necromancers. Just having discovered an ancient skeleton wouldn't be enough for that. He must have access to a living example, and confident enough to be able to get its venom.

Yes indeed, Nekrys though with a shiver, he had done well not to underestimate that stranger.


	3. Making new friends

It was three weeks into the summer and finally, _finally _the Necromancer had decided that I was ready to take the test. Coincidentally his decision came just in time to be considered a birthday present. With all the things that were going on I had honestly almost forgotten about it. Not that I received any messages for that matter (I blamed Dobby for that).

It had not been easy to get the Necromancer on my side. All my acting skills were needed to persuade him that I was not a ministry officer, not about to stab him in the back or betray him to his ominous guild. For a moment I had wondered what had happened to him to make him that paranoid but then I decided I didn't really want to know.

The thing was that Nekrys never outright asked a question. He never insisted upon learning my real name, where I was from or how the heck I came into the possession of basilisk venom. He didn't ask questions but he listened closely to every word I said, watching my body language for even a hint of insecurity. I guessed that he really didn't want to know too much about me. Either as to not to drive me away or because he had learned the hard way that people tended to betray each other when it meant less years to spend in prison. I respected that and in turn didn't question him either.

After our first meeting he gave me several books to read, which I managed to get through in only a week thanks to several pepper up potions and sleepless nights. I admit that I didn't understand half of that stuff and had to buy a few books on magical theory first for cross referencing.

When I met with the Necromancer again he had bought a vial made purely out of some kind of magical crystal. It was of one of the very few materials that wouldn't melt upon coming into contact with basilisk venom. We came at a stale mate, he didn't want to teach me further without proof that I could and would pay and I didn't want to do that until I was sure I would be getting what I wanted. Finally I offered to get the old scale I had brought from the chamber, to show that my words weren't just hot air. His eyes began to gleam when he heard that.

"That would certainly prove something. Basilisk scales are around ten times as resistant as dragon hide... They repel most curses, in fact I can't think of a curse that wouldn't be reflected... Even a single scale would be worth a lot sold to a potions maker. I would be ready to buy one for 25 galleons."

"Make it 50", I said, knowing how to bargain.

"30, because it's you."

"50."

He scowled at me, clearly annoyed. "Fine then, 40, but not more."  
"Did I hear 50?" I smirked, being reminded of a movie I once saw.  
"That's not how you negotiate! I'll give you 45, that's it."

My smirk grew wider as I shook hands with him. "45 galleons it is then. Adding to that the value added tax that would be, let me see... 50 galleons."

The Necromancer cursed in French. "I want to see it first!"

"No problem. _Nochsha!"_ Without any noise (Notch was getting better at this) I found myself in Gringotts together with the elf, took the scale from my secret chest and ordered him to bring me back to the exact same spot.

Not ten seconds had passed when I appeared in front of Nekrys again and handed him the green oval.

"Exactly how long... is this creature?", he asked, marveling at the scale that was around as big as his palm.

"Around twenty foot."

His hands began to shake as he gave the scale back to me. "Now I see why you wouldn't drop the price. I hadn't thought it would be this... Well, that changes a lot. The basilisk must be over three hundred years old. The venom of a grown up example like this would be even more... I have to talk with – people about this. You may be able to make a fortune out of this."

"It is not money I desire – although that's a nice bonus. It's knowledge. It's connections."  
"Well, I do have those."  
"Then we will come to an agreement."  
From then on Nekrys showed me how to correctly draw a ritual circle. He seemed to be appalled and slightly suspicious at my lack of knowledge on runes but after a sharp glare from me he didn't comment on it. He advised me to learn several complicated spells that would make it impossible for ghosts to sense me. I was delighted to learn that there even was one to pass a dementor unnoticed. You would still be affected by it but it wouldn't sense you and therefore wouldn't come closer.

If I had to learn all of this from books I would have been lost but Nekrys was a good teacher and I was a good student so it worked out well.

There was only one week left of the holidays – I had already received my Hogwarts letter, having instructed Notch to intercept it before someone else could and another, rather desperate one from Harry who wanted to know where the hell I was, warning me about a crazy house elf and that I shouldn't return to the Dursleys. Apparently they had gone mad and he had been forced to move in with the Weasleys to escape their wrath. What made me think however was the note that came with my Hogwarts letter. It was from Snape.

* * *

_Potter,_

_I could not but notice that neither letter the Deputy Headmistress send out for you and your brother were delivered to your home. Not only that but yours actually went to France. Since you told me of your mutual dislike of your relatives I doubt you're on a holiday with them. While I don't care what you do in your free time as your Head of House I feel I have to warn you that it is not wise for your to stroll around the countryside alone. Don't pretend you're with one of your so called friends, I know you are not. If you really have to, at least take an adult with you on your journeys._

_We'll talk about it at school._

_Professor Snape,_

_Head of Slytherin House_

* * *

My, my, if that wasn't curious. Either I had grown on the bitter spy or he was afraid he'd break his oath of protecting Harry and me when I got myself killed. Either way, it was left to see if this could be of any advantage for me. Till then I had other things to do.

On that day I was standing in an alley in muggle Marseille waiting for Nekrys to arrive. We would exorcise a ghost today so that I could see how it was done at least once before I attempted it myself. When he turned up however I raised an eyebrow at his appearance.

"Are you serious?", I said in a tone as if I questioned his sanity.

Nekrys glared at me. "I am. And you should put these on too." He gave me a bundle of clothes. I looked at them as if they were something disgusting I had found under by bed. They might as well be.

"Really?"

"The people we're going to are muggles", he explained with a sigh. "It's a more or less official mission, we'll even get paid."  
"You don't have to beat about the bush. I know by now that you belong to a guild and that they assign you missions."

Drinking an aging potion every morning and doing so before the room service came busting in luckily I had learned a spell that changed you clothes instantly.

I second later I stood in the alley dressed as a muggle priest.

I pulled at the small white strap around my throat uncomfortably.

"Well then", I said annoyed, "let's exorcise a ghost."

* * *

It was Wednesday and I was in Diagon Alley for my school shopping. I was a little late but since all of my school books could be owl ordered, as could most potion supplies I was only here for new robes and some parchment. Just now I was standing in the Magical Menagerie, trying to get the assistant to sell me an unbreakable terrarium. I wanted one with as much spells against the animal fleeing as possible but, probably meaning good, he tried to offer me something cheaper. Luckily today I had Notch (the snake) with me, who had been more then a bit annoyed at me for ignoring him most of the time. When I showed him the snake with its poisonous coloring he finally gave me what I wanted just so that I would keep my pet in check.

It was pure luck really when I turned to leave and noticed a little chubby brat entering the shop together with a screeching vulture. No wait, it was an old lady and the vulture sat on the top of her head. I had completely forgotten about my second goal that summer and so I wasted no time and went over to greet Neville Longbottom. We only had a little chat. Neville seemed to be confused as to why I even bothered approaching him, not to mention actually being _nice _while his grandmother was just glad he found a school friend and went to buy food for Trevor to give us some time.

"You know Neville", I said, now lowering my voice, "I've been planning to have a little trip during my last week. It's gonna be really awesome but I could use your help with it."

"M-My help?", he stuttered and his cheeks flushed pink. If I had thought being part of the Philosophers Stone adventure had boost his confidence I was sorely mistaken.

"Why would you need me? I'm not that good at... at anything."  
"Nonsense. You're a genius when it comes to Herbology, are you not? And I happen to have to pick up some rare magical plants. It could go bad if not handled correctly but I saw what you did to the Devils Snare and I figured you're just the person I need."

"Uh..."  
"Of course there will be something in it for you too. I have something in mind but it'll be a surprise. What do you say?"  
"I'm not sure... I guess I have to ask my grandma..."

"Alright, I'll owl you the time when to come to me. Don't be late!"

The vulture was back so I wished them both a good day and left.

Nevilles Grandmother wasn't exactly overprotective (she couldn't be when she allowed his uncle to hold him above an abyss by the ankle just to see if he could do magic) but I figured that not even she would allow Neville to take part in what I had planned. That's why my words were very vague but still indicating that I wanted to have a little adventure. If the Longbottoms were as keen as getting some courage into their boy as I thought she would bring him to me, even though I was a Slytherin.

Now there was just the problem of my relatives.

I stayed in my inn at France for the next two days, reading additional material on exorcisms and talking with Notch, the snake. I had sent Notch, the elf out to spy on my relatives. Sure enough he came back with news that they were off to visit aunt Madge for the weekend. I promptly wrote a letter to Neville, indicating to be at Number Four Saturday at ten. Then I went to Surrey and visited a little café a few blocks from Privet Drive. I used to enjoy their waffles a lot before going to Hogwarts. That's why I knew there was nice looking waitress who constantly complained about her meager pay.

"Hello Mrs Miller", I greeted her when I entered the café.

"Why, isn't that Charles Potter?", she said, beaming at me. "You haven't been here for a long time."  
"Well, you see I didn't have the opportunity really", I said, "I'm visiting a boarding school now."

"Oh, well, then do you want the usual?" She used to like me a lot because I always left her a tip.  
"Actually, I'm here to ask for your help."

"Oh?"  
"See, I want to spent the weekend with a friend who comes over but he's a bit... well, he has a few psychological problems. I fear my aunt and uncle wouldn't be very nice to him but his grandma, who he lives with, wouldn't allow him to stay with me alone. So I was wondering, since me relatives are gone this weekend, if you could take a day off and pretend to be my aunt?"

She gaped at me a little. "You want me to... _what?"_

"Oh, it's only for a few minutes! Of course I know you have to drop out of work for it so I'm paying you well. It's really important to me. Please?"

I did the puppy eyes and finally she sighed.

"Well, I guess I could help out my favorite customer... But you'd have to pay me the hours fee!"  
I grinned at her. "I'll pay you two, if you don't tell anyone!"

"Agreed."

That weekend I lead Mrs Miller to Number Four. I was telling her that my friend was a little bit strange, that he lived in a fantasy world full of magic and that we had to play a long with it should he mention it since his therapist had said it was currently the best for him.

That was why, when the Longbottoms showed up, talking about my trip to the outskirts of London (no way I was telling the old lady were we'd really go to) to gather potions ingredients she didn't even bat an eye.

Mrs Miller was a nice woman, not overly motherly but still good company and she played her part perfectly, as did I. Neville actually looked as if he'd redeem his opinion about this being a bad idea.

However once the door closed behind her and I gave the waitress her money his eyes widened.

"Wait, where is your aunt going?", he asked confused when she wished us a good weekend and left.

"That? Oh, that wasn't my aunt. It was a muggle I payed to play her part", I said nonchalantly.

"But-"  
"My real aunt is a really nasty woman who would never allow me to have a friend to stay over. Trust me, we're better off without her." I went to the kitchen and grabbed a random spoon.  
"Here, hold on that."

He gazed at the spoon doubtfully. "Is that..."  
"A portkey, yes. I brought one the other day to get us to our destination." Really I had just agreed on a 'password' with Notch to transport us. Now that there wasn't aloud crack anymore no one would notice the difference between us portkeying and notching.

I grabbed my backpack that I had prepared for the weekend (I couldn't exactly let him know that I normally shrunk all my things) and told him to do so too before I just grabbed his hand and put it on the spoon.

"Nice journey", I said and a moment later Notch apparated us away without Neville even noticing his presence.

We dropped out at an official portkey point. Neville looked around wide eyed for it was defiantly _not _London anymore.

"Charles", he whimpered, "where are we?"

"Romania", I answered proudly. "At one of the most popular tourist attractions of the country."

The Gryffindor looked around the wasteland. A lot of sand, red stone, rocks and hills could be seen with only occasionally a dry shrub. It wasn't exactly hot and the air was actually quite humid so one had to wonder about the lack of vegetation. A few people could be seen portkeying in and I quickly pulled him out of the area so he wouldn't be run over.

"Ah, there's our man", I said and pointed ahead. "Come on Neville."

I pulled the poor boy with me towards a lone figure that stood in the shadows.

"Hello Sir", I greeted the man cheerfully, who jumped a little at being addressed so suddenly. "You must be Mr Lion, is that right?"

The Necromancer stared at me for a couple of seconds.

"What the-", he murmured, but caught himself just in time. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that... Well, that I would be accompanying one of the _Potter twins_ today. And it's de Lyon."

"Sure enough, Mr Lion", I said smiling brightly, deliberately pronouncing his name wrongly."I'm Charles and this is my friend Neville. Neville, that's Mr Lion. He's a friend of a brother of an friends sister-in-law. Or so I've been told. For what we're going to do today we need an adult to watch us."

The Necromancer muttered something darkly under his beard that sounded like 'Bastard could've told me'.

Indeed I had promised Nekrys to give him the next basilisk scale he ordered for free if he took 'the cousin of a friend of mine' on a trip to Romania. When I was now looking up at him I remembered that conversation vividly:

"You want me to take care of a child?", he had asked incredulously. "_Me_? That's not exactly a bright idea."

"Indeed I do. Don't worry, he doesn't have to be pampered. In fact you'll just be needed for official supervision at the place they're going to. He can take care of himself. In fact I'm confident he could take care of _you _too, should you try something so yes, I do think it is a good idea." It was just that Nekrys was the only adult wizard I was confident in asking. I didn't want any English wizards to know too much about what I did during my summer holidays and outside of the country I was closest to Nekrys. From the way he always made sure to tell me all the things that could go wrong in the rituals, all the punishments that awaited a wizard who used the more gruesome aspect of his profession I had concluded that besides his job he was actually a decent guy. That was good. I knew how to handle decent guys.

"Why don't you do it yourself if it's that important? I'm not a freaking babysitter", he had complained. Although he still held a good amount of respect for me we were now business partners. Plus he had never seen me do anything really dark, even if he had come to a lot of bad conclusions about me because of hints I left him. He was growing confident in addressing me in a more relaxed way as a result.

"I can't do it myself because I'm kind of... wanted in that country. Not by law, mind you, but one of the people working there knows my face. I'll pay you enough to make good for the few days you'll lose so it really shouldn't be a problem." Then I had used my best threatening glare to shut him up.

"Right then", Nekrys said clearly annoyed and glared at Neville. He hadn't known that there were two boys to babysit. "Let's get this over with. Follow me."

He lead Neville an me around a ridge. Suddenly there was a shadow over us and we looked up just in time to see the scaly bottom side of a fiery red dragon swoop by. Poor Neville let out a scream of fear and terror when he fell on his butt. I however just laughed, pulled him to his feet again and spread my arms to include the entire valley in front of us.

"Welcome my friend", I said grinning, "to the Romania Eastern Dragon Resort!"


	4. Speaking Dragonish

After passing all the check points Nekrys, Neville and I took part in a tour around the resort. Overcoming his initial fear Neville was interested in the talks about dragon breeding, dragon hatching, the various uses of dragon body parts, what kind of food they received and so on. The Romania dragons were pretty well off and although Longbottom stayed away from the real ones I saw him gaping in wonder and admiration when it was feeding time and we got to see a Chinese Fireball fry his cows to a crispy piece of meat. Now that explained the lack of vegetation everywhere.

We were shown little baby dragons around as tall as horses and dragon eggs of different kinds that were being kept in a cold room so they wouldn't hatch before the resort had enough resources to care for another exemplar. We also saw old moving pictures in the history part of the tour showing gruesome dragon fights in which wizards would bet whose dragon would kill the other first.

"What do you think of it?", I asked at the end of the day. We had rented a tent that was being set up in the visitors region of the resort for the night.

"Well, I first I was scared", admitted the boy, "but now I think it's really cool. But that trip had to cost a lot. You shouldn't have done that for me, we don't even know each other very well."

"Nonsense. I'm a Slytherin, you know we always have a hidden purpose. You just haven't figured out mine yet. Until you do, consider it a late birthday present."

He smiled shyly. "Thanks."  
"Oh, don't thank me yet. You don't know what else I have planned for tomorrow." I gave him an evil laugh and the boy actually looked worried. The look of pity Nekrys gave him who was on the inside of my plan didn't exactly make it any better.

The next day I was up early. I had bribed a wizard using my Raven appearance to separate a young Swedish Ridgeback in a secluded area. Normally there were at least ten professionals nearby when the tourists got to see a dragon but here it was only me. When Nekrys and Neville finally found me standing not three feet from the beast they looked more then a little worried.

"C-Charles, what are you doing!? Come here, quickly!", Neville gasped.

I grinned at him and petted the bright orange dragon for show.

"Don't worry, Neville. I learned a bit Dragonish over the summer. Bright Claw promised to behave."

The Gryffindor looked at me doubtfully but Nekrys pulled me aside violently, not letting the dragon out of eyesight.

"What the hell are you thinking, boy?!", he growled at me. "Do you think this is some kind of game?"

"This is part of my plan", I hissed back. More quietly I added: "I was going to let you imperius it if my plan failed but it didn't."  
"What kind of plan? What is going on here?"

I made sure Neville couldn't hear us before explaining: "See that boy over there? He's got potential but is lacking self-conscious. With just a little push he could be of great help to our cause. I am going to push him... by letting him ride a dragon."

Nekrys blinked at me incredulously. "Ride a dragon? That's insane! And whose cause do you mean?"

"If nobody has told you yet then it seems you're not ready to know. I thought you were in on it since Raven assigned you to come here but it seems I was wrong. Anyway, I am a parselmouth and I came here to test if dragons understood the language of snakes too. Apparently they do, which makes it easy for me to control them. Bright Claw will let us ride him in exchange of telling the guards about that nasty toothache he has so they can get rid of it. Now if you would?"

Hesitantly Nekrys released me and stepped aside. He was watching me warily still.  
"If the beast kills you that's not my fault. Actually, I might just applaud it if it did", he said scathingly.

"You're welcome."

I walked over to Neville again.

"As I was saying, this wonderful dragon over here is completely harmless. I paid an extra fee for us to play with him a little", I said smiling and petted the dragon some more. "Come on, get on it."  
"G-G-Get o-on it?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Bright Claw, dear, would you kneel down so that we can get on your back?", I asked the dragon nicely. Only that it was no English that came out but hissing sounds.

Neville flinched back.  
"What was that?"

"Dragonish, as I told you", I answered without hesitation when Bright Claw lay down to let us climb him.

"It's really not that hard to learn. A lot of people who work here have to know it. I learned it from a book Hermione gave me when she heard about my interest in dragons." That was the thing about lies, they were more easily believed when decorated with some harmless details.  
"It sounds... Sounds a bit like a snake", Neville said unsure.

"Does it?", I answered, pretending to think hard. "I never noticed. But I suppose that's logical, after all dragons are closely related to snakes. Now come on, we don't have all day."

I shoved the Gryffindor in the direction of the dragon and after some more teasing involving his house pride and courage he finally climbed on top of the dragon with me right behind him.

"Off you go", I told Bright Claw happily and the dragon spread its mighty wings and took off.

At first it was a quiet flight. The dragon, although young, was still so big that it hardly noticed our presence as it flew over the resort, wisely staying away from the areas with wizards who could see us. When I felt Neville getting calmer behind me I encouraged Bright Claw to fly a few turns, raise his speed etc. Finally I instructed him to fly in circles, roughly 20 meters above the ground.

"Why a-are we stopping?", Neville, who just got used to and began to enjoy the flight wanted to know.

"Oh, you know, Bright Claw does not normally carry passengers and he still has problems with the landing. He could accidentally throw us down violently. So we'll have to jump."  
"Jump?", he repeated with a high voice.  
"Don't worry, that's the area specifically enchanted to allow dragon riders to jump of. It's covered in cushioning charms. We'll have a really soft landing."

In reality there was Nekrys standing down there who was instructed to catch us with a cushioning charm.

"Wha – but I don't think-"

I didn't wait to hear what he didn't think. Instead I stood up and spread my arms as if I wanted to dive into water.

"Unless of course", I said, turning to him, "you want to stay up here without an interpreter?" And with those words I jumped.

Nekrys was cursing violently at me for being so reckless even after I had a soft landing and brushed some dirt off my clothes.

"Watch out", I just said when I noticed Neville leaping off the dragon.

He too was caught by Nekrys' charm. Before he could return to being a babbling mass of negative IQ I threw an arm around his shoulder and said brightly smiling: "See, that wasn't half bad, was it? Was actually kind of fun. I'll admit until the last moment I really doubted if you'd go through with it."

"That dragon", he huffed seeing Bright Claw land behind us, "could've dropped us here quite easily, couldn't he?"  
"Well, yes", I admitted, "but I thought coming down this way was more fun." I lead him back to the dragon. "Now there's only one thing to do. You see, when we were up there Bright Claw told me he had a toothache. If that's the case we have to tell the guards but I think he might just pretend. We have to check it out." In Parsel I asked Bright Claw to open his mouth so we could see his teeth. The dragon complied quietly. His mouth was so big he could swallow a car without coughing.

"Could you crawl in there for a moment and check on his teeth?", I asked Neville nicely.  
"C-Crawl in there?! In a _dragons mouth!?"_

"Well you see, I have to keep talking to him to distract him from the pain so yes, you have to do it."

"But... But couldn't that do some guard? Or..." He looked at Nekrys hopefully, but the Necromancer gave him a death glare in return.

"That dragon really whines a lot. The guards won't listen to us if we tell them, let alone check if we can't show them precisely where the problem lays. Come on now, where's the famous Gryffindor courage? You did so much today, surely you can do one more thing?"

A little more persuading was necessary when Bright Claw blew out a small flame impatiently. But finally Neville crawled into the mouth. I had a feeling he only did so because my glare was scarier then the dragons, which kind of complimented me.

He searched around half heartily for a few moments but he came back to report that there was indeed a black hole in the bottom right corner tooth.

We brought Bright Claw back to the guard I bribed, who seemed to be surprised to see us all in one piece and showed him the black tooth.

On the way back to the portkey station I threw my arm around his shoulder again as if we were old friends.

"Now tell me Neville, did you learn the lesson of the weekend?"

"Lesson?"  
"Of course. The entire purpose of this trip. Have you recognized it?"  
"You really like to torture people?", he asked wryly.

I smirked. "That too. But no, this was about you overcoming your fear. I can see that you have potential to be a great wizard, but you're lacking self-conscious. You're a Gryffindor and as such you're bound to be brave. But braveness is not about fearing nothing, it's about being able to overcome your fears. No doubt you were afraid of heights, yet you came with me on the ride. You were afraid to let lose, yet you jumped down from 20 meters above to the ground. You were scared of that dragon, yet you crawled into his bloody mouth, where there was the risk of a full set of sharp dragon teeth, being roasted by its flame and that's not even counting the swallowing reflex. How many people can claim to have done that? How many people would even dare to try?"  
"You would", he whispered quietly.

"Well yes, but I was able to talk to the dragon, therefore I knew it was not dangerous. You had absolutely no guaranty that I wasn't just messing with you to get you into a dangerous situation. Which of course I would never do but I know what kind of prejudices there are about my house so I'll assume you wouldn't know that."

Neville scowled.

"Oh, and by the way", I added and pulled out two wooden sticks out of my pocket.

"It seems you _accidentally _broke your wand. Your landing wasn't as soft as mine was, huh?"  
"Wha – that's my fathers wand! I – you-"

I patted him on the shoulder. "Look at the bright side. Now you can buy a new wand, one that actually chose _you. _One that will work for you willingly."  
"That was my fathers wand! Gran gave it to me, it was – it was really precious to me!"  
Now I was the one scowling. "Seriously, are you mad at me?"

"_You _broke the wand, didn't you?"

"And what if I did?"

"Then I'll-", he took a deep breath, "I'll show you!"  
"Good", I said, nodding approvingly. "Get better, Neville. Train hard. Then you can come and pay me back." I hold out another spoon for him.

He was still glaring at me angrily, but after a few moments, took it.  
"Bye Mr Lion", I said to the Necromancer. "We'll see each other."  
"Hopefully not", he sneered. Then I whispered the password that would alert Notch to bring us back to Privet Drive and we were gone.

There were just ten minutes left before Mrs Longbottom arrived on time to get Neville. When I heard her knocking at the door I pulled Neville close one last time.  
"I hope I don't have to remind you that you are not to tell your grandmother what we did today, do I? I don't care about the other Gryffindors but she seems to be the sort of woman that would freak out upon hearing it. That or she wouldn't believe you at all, because of course I will deny everything."

Sadly Neville knew that his grandmother probably wouldn't believe what he'd dared to do and even if she did there was no guaranty that she would praise him like lots of his classmates probably would.

"I won't tell", he said quietly.

"That's the first step", I murmured, not loud enough for him to hear as he went to open the door. "Two more to go."


	5. September 1th

It was September first and I was twenty minutes early at the station. I had been confident that there would be no problems. After all Notch had had no troubles getting me my Hogwarts letter and the one from Harry. I had even received one from Malfoy. He had been asking why I was never answering but I wrote back that I was on the move a lot and that owls were unlikely to reach me. He should tell my other minions that they shouldn't write too. It was entirely possible that this was true, since I switched between Gringotts in England and Rue Noir in France so often. I had not had the feeling that someone was intercepting my letters.

But when I leaned against the wall of the pillar at platform nine it was exactly that – a solid wall.

I cursed quietly, just barely keeping it English. I could notch directly to Hogwarts, no problem, but that would raise questions.

I waited some time until I saw a couple of wizards passing by on their way to the platform. I made sure to walk directly behind them but as soon as they were through the wall went solid again, rejecting me. I was not exactly keen on asking strangers for help so I left to buy some late breakfast in a nearby shop and only returned shortly before it was eleven o'clock. I came just in time to watch Ron Weasley and my brother crash against the wall full force.

"Why can't we get through?", Harry hissed at Ron after they managed to put their things together that were spread on the ground.

"I dunno-"

"The barrier is closed", I answered for him, stepping into their view looking totally relaxed. All my package including my pet snake was still at Gringotts so I didn't draw nearly as much attention as them around the muggles.

"Charles! What – you didn't answer my letters – and – and what do you mean the barrier is closed? What are you still doing here?"

"I never received any letters and in case you've forgotten I don't have an owl..."  
"Oh. Wait, that means Dobby intercepted yours too?"

I let him explain about the house elf incident during his summer.

"We don't have time for this! The train, it's-"

"Already gone", I sneered. "Just look at the watch."  
"But-" They gaped at me. "How will we go to Hogwarts then?"  
"I suppose we could wait at the car for your parents...", Harry said.

"The car!"

"No", I interrupted ginger before he could say something stupid. "You will _not _fly your fathers car to Hogwarts. The only reason I waited for you here is so that I could borrow Hedwig. We'll sent a letter to the school. But let's wait at least twenty minutes to it in case the barrier opens to let the other wizards out. Then we could just ask someone to lend us a hand in flooing to Hogsmeade, the village next to the castle."

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?", Harry asked sharply.

"Yes I did." There was no denying it.

"That means you know why we can't get through too."  
"Harry, you too should have realized by now someone is trying to stop us from getting to Hogwarts."

"You... You mean it's Dobby!?"

"That blasted elf... He's completely nuts, I tell you."  
"We thought that maybe he belongs to Draco Malfoy", Harry admitted. "That he's trying to pull a joke."  
"Malfoy? Oh please, Malfoy would never dare to keep _me _from going to wherever I want to go. You, alright I could understand that, but me? No, from what you've told me the elf is acting on its own will."

"But... that would mean his warning is also true!"  
I smirked at him. "Let's just expect this year to be just as eventful as the last."

At that moment people started coming out of the barrier and we moved aside to let them. In a matter of seconds Mrs Weasley was with us and ranted at his son why he wasn't on the train and did he thought this was _funny _and she never had such problems not even with the twins and so on.

"Excuse me Madam", I cut in, "there seems to be pulled a nasty joke on us. The barrier was closed, likely by the same person who intercepted Harrys and my letters this summer. That's why we couldn't get on the train. I propose we go to the next chimney and just use the floo."

"Oh, you have to be Charles, Harrys brother", Mrs Weasley said, smiling at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't know... Anyway, that seems like a good idea. You can come with us back to the Burrow if you'd like. Where is your luggage, dear?"  
"I asked someone to shrink it for me, it's all in my pocket. If you could do the same for Harry he would actually fit into a chimney." I tried my best to stay on the polite side of sarcastic even when Arthur Weasley pulled out his wand and I had to remind him not to do it _here _where so many muggles could see him.

An hour later we arrived at the Burrow with the car. I declined Mrs Weasleys offer for tea, ignored Rons scratching comments and went straight for the chimney.

"Have you ever traveled with floo powder?" Molly asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Really? When?", Harry wanted to know.

"Half a year ago when I was visiting the Malfoys over Christmas."

"Oh, Ron mentioned that you were friends with their son."

"That's true."

"I see..." Molly seemed to hesitate but finally couldn't hold it any longer. "I can't believe you visited them, my dear! You have to be very careful around that family. Rumors say they were allied with You-know-who."

"Exactly, Mrs Weasley. They're _rumors _that speak in _past tense _of their political orientation. Draco and I are still children. Plus even if Moldyshorts was at the peak of his power and Mr Malfoy an inner circle Death Eater, I'd still doubt he'd hurt his sons best friend. I got to know him enough to know that." Being sick of that ginger crowd already I took some floo powder and stepped into the fireplace without another word.

"Hogsmeade", I said clearly as green flames engulfed me. A minute later Harry was at my side, followed by Mr Weasley.

We were lead towards the castle at once. The train hadn't arrived yet but Mr Weasley went to explain our situation to the teachers and we were to wait until the rest of the student body arrived.

* * *

I figured that besides tradition the reason for the students having to ride a train instead of using portkeys or floo powder to get here was so the teachers had time for some last minute preparations for the feast. No one was used to students being there just yet, which was why no one looked out for us. It was the perfect time to get a first peak into the restricted section. Still I used my Invisibility Cloak just to be sure. Last year I had mastered a handy copying charm and now I spend two hours browsing through the section looking for potions and spells I knew would be handy later on. I copied the recipe for Polyjuice Potion, a text about where to find gillyweed and how to enhance its effects to last longer using potions. I found a potion that made you fireproof, the spell for fiendfire, a precise description on how the Unforgivables worked, the recipe for Wolfsbane and the charm to force an animagus to transform back. There was something on the theory behind the patronus charm, instructions on how to set and bring down apparition wards, advanced glamour charms with horrendous adverse effects if performed incorrectly and even a small book written entirely in Parsel, which I copied completely. Most of it was still far beyond me but I was sure that I could brew all the potions with Hermiones help and I had always been talented at charms.

Soon it was time for the feast. I entered the Great Hall together with everyone else and dropped down next to Draco who had been saving me a seat.

"Merlins beard, Charles, where have you been? We haven't seen you on the train and you barely ever wrote!"

"We were wondering if you'd come at all", Blaise added.

"I wouldn't miss a school year", I answered smoothly. "Something came up this morning so I had to use the floo to get here." I made it sound as if it had been my intention without really lying to them. It showed how well they were taught; they didn't even question me, instead dropping the subject completely.

I didn't pay much attention to the sorting. However when the food arrived I listened to my minions conversation about them with one ear.

"No one interesting this year", Theodore drawled, looking around the Great Hall. "Hey Daphne, isn't that your sister?"

"She is", Daphne said curtly but didn't care to elaborate. Astoria Greengrass went to Slytherin and sat down with the other first years.

"Another Weasley", Draco murmured glancing at the final redhead. "One would think they'd have learned not to get any more. They're so poor, even one should be too much for them!"

"She will be easy prey", I predicted. "The first female Weasley and the youngest at that... Of course that is if her brothers aren't overprotective."

"Even if they are, what could they possibly do?" Draco sneered, taking my comment as permission to go bully the little girl. I didn't really care. The sooner she broke the sooner I could take action.

"What's with that strange girl?", Blaise commented and nodded towards the Ravenclaw table. "She's staring at you, Charles."

I looked over and saw a petite blonde girl sitting at the Raven's table. Around her people were chatting, reading or eating but she did none of that. In fact her eyes were fixed on me in an impression of wonder and puzzlement.

"Luna Lovegood", Theodore said. "Her family is not right in the head."

I averted my gaze and addressed my inner circle. "Keep an eye on that girl, will you? I want to know everything you can find out about her but _don't _make it obvious. Daphne, try to get your sister to watch her during class if you can."

"Of course but... Why? She seems pretty ordinary."

Instantly the entire group fixed their glares on the poor girl, who flinched back as if she had been slapped.

"I-I'm sorry! I do... I do not question you, my Lord."

Now I was the one who had to suppress a flinch.

"Do not call me that, you silly girl! Not in the middle of the damn Great Hall."

Daphne seemed to be close to breaking into tears and apologized quickly. Everyone around her shifted awkwardly, wanting nothing to do with the girl who managed to incur my wrath of her on the very first day of school.

The rest of the feast passed by uneventful. However when it was time to head for the common room I let the message be passed of having a meeting with my 'friends' in the boys dormitory. Draco, Theodore, Blaise, Daphne and Tracey were invited while Crabbe and Goyle were sent to stay in the common room. Daphnes slip had made it clear in which way they saw me. They had had a whole summer to think about it and in case they had chosen me as their new Lord I had to know about it. I had to know and I had to act accordingly.

But I didn't address the subject right away. Once everyone was seated I said:  
"This is going to be our second year at Hogwarts but it's also going to be a lot harder then the last. Something big is going on. It has already started, even if people won't know for quite some time. Draco?"

Draco blinked at me for a moment. "Y-Yes?"  
"Tell us what you know about it."

The boy gulped, but didn't seem to be particularly surprised that I knew.

"My father won't tell me much. He only told me not to draw too much attention towards me. Something is gonna happen that will clean the school from its filth. It's a great chance for Hogwarts but it's also dangerous and I should stay away from it."

I couldn't hold a small chuckle. "Dangerous, indeed. The coming events will put all Slytherins under close watch. Attacks from other houses will be more frequent. Therefore it is of great importance that we are able to protect ourselves, but even more so the younger first years who cannot defend themselves. I want you to take them under your wing. Help them with their homework and teach them how to ward off physical attacks, which will be what most of the students will rely on. Also try to speak to older students to form new connections." I didn't use the word 'recruitment' but everybody understood anyway.

"During those hard times Slytherin house must be united. No one else will help us. But we cannot lose our connections to the other houses either. Call students to you who have siblings in other houses. It won't be suspicious if they hang out with each other. Get them to keep their eyes open and report any dangers to you. There will be a lot of pranking, bulling and maybe even assaults. I want you to be able to prevent as much of it as possible. Of course no one should be able to trace anything you do back to be." Again I didn't use the word 'spying' but it hung in the air anyway.

"What about the Outtakes?", Tracey asked. "Will they continue?"  
"They will. It's the best way to reach first years from other houses. However we'll be more strict with the selection of who is to take part in the dueling sessions since there's going to be more demand. We'll open a separate class for muggleborns, lead by Hermione Granger and you, Zabini. Do not underestimate this assignment. It is of great importance that we show ourselves lenient towards the muggleborns.

We will reopen the official Hogwarts dueling club too that was abandoned in 1895. In order to make sure there won't be any teachers watching the head of the club has to be a sixth or seventh year. Find me a suitable Slytherin for that job. Professors can be excluded from watching completely in case we make it seem more like a sports and artist group. Therefore we'll prepare a show duel at the end of the year to the feast, one that's going to be a surprise. We have to declare our intentions of that soon. Also I want a second head of the club from another house. Zabini, get me a list of everyone who took part in the Outtakes last year as well as comments on who would be of most use in the new club."

Zabini seemed to be proud of his new position and I was relieved he was. Whatever path I chose I would not go against muggleborns. My minions better got used to that.

"Now to you", I continued, fixing my gaze on Daphne, who shrunk back. "Don't think I forgot about your slip at the feast. Something like that cannot happen again." I looked around, making sure to meet everybody's eyes at least once. "For that matter, I was not aware that you were calling me 'my Lord' behind my back either. Care to explain?"  
There was some nervous movement until finally Theodore said:  
"It's just that... Well, we know that you're the next Slytherin. We're not sure if you're really... you know... but we have decided that it doesn't matter. You're our leader. It just feels wrong to call you by your first name, not to mention your last..."  
"I see. However you have to be aware that this title is associated with no good. If you have to, you can call me 'the Raven'. It's an alias I have used before so it is not unknown. If you talk about me in my absence, make sure you're not overheard and even then, talk about the Raven as if it was a separate person, someone outside of Hogwarts. It will lead curious ears astray. You can even go as far as leave hints that the Raven told you to observe me or things like that if someone is about to find out, to make sure I'm not associated with that person."  
"We will do as you say... Raven." It sounded a little awkward still but time would change that.

"Good. Now it's time to end the day. The first Outtakes will be in two weeks. Prepare yourselves."

The girls left and soon the lights were out. Tomorrow the school year would start for real.

* * *

A/N:

For everyone who hadn't noticed: Charles is strongly leaning towards the dark side. It's not set yet but he'll probably be some kind of Dark Lord himself at the end of this and I'm slowly making him unlikeable on purpose. Being metally stable isn't exactly on his priority list either. After all where's the fun in being in a ficional world if you can't unleash hell on it? ;-)

You have been warned.


	6. Luna Lovegood

The next morning we had our first lesson in Defense. Since I knew what was to come I had brushed up on my freezing charms during breakfast and was able to avert the pandemonium that was bound to take place when one released a bunch of pixies. At lunch I sent a small paper airplane to Neville Longbottom, advising him to practice the charm for his class too. In the evening I caught up with Hermione, who was so busy talking about Lockart that she didn't even comment on my lack of letters during the summer. She probably blamed it on me not having an owl.

"There's something I wanted to tell you", I said when she paused to take a breath. "Hermione, I know you like him", I tried my best to ignore her blush, "but please try to concentrate." I told her about the dueling club I planned on reinitiating as well as my idea of her leading the muggleborn class.

"Oh, I would be delighted to! But are you sure you want me to do this, I mean it was your idea!"  
"I am sure. I couldn't think of a better person to ask. However, there's a special charm that is kind of advanced but really important to every wizard who has to deal with muggles on a regular basis. I'd like to teach it to the students. Of course, since it's spell practice it would fall into the dueling department still. It's the memory charm."  
"The one that wipes peoples memory? It could be dangerous."  
"I know. But Lockart is really good at it and I'm sure he could teach you and in turn, you could teach the students of the club – including me."

Her eyes brightened at that. "Oh, I don't know. I'm not sure if he would give me private lessons..."  
"Snape gives them to me all the time and you're the only one who got full points at his quiz. I wouldn't be surprised if you became his favorite student."

She went bright red but promised to try anyway.

Yes, Lockart was a fraud but he was bound to be our teacher for still some time. Why shouldn't I make the best use of him? Although I had to say I was looking forward to his end. At lunch I had passed by as Colin Creevy bothered my brother and promptly I had been forced to smile for his camera with Harry and Lockart. The fraud noticing my presence was the last thing I needed.

The weekend rolled by and my Slytherins managed to get me two leaders for the dueling club. There was Emely Hopkins, fifth year Ravenclaw who was apparently dating Marcus Flint, who in turn owned Draco big time for providing the Quidditch team with new brooms when he became the seeker. The official head would be Malcolm Davis, Traceys older brother from Slytherin who was in sixth year. As soon as we had Snape on our side getting the club through the official channels was a piece of a cake. The two leaders even got a permanent slip for the Restricted Section of the Library from him.

I had taken up my private potions lessons with him again. We were now covering 4th grade potions. During my little free time I was beginning to select the members I wanted to have in my club. My Slytherins would be there, that was for sure, as would Hermione and Neville. The other Slytherins I only wanted to invite if they had any connections to one of my close friends or something else they could be blackmailed with. But I would really like to have the Weasley twins in the lot. That was why I sent them a note to meet me at the weekend. They declined, claiming to have Quidditch practice but from Draco who'd made it into the team I knew it would be canceled so I waited for them in the RoR nonetheless.

When they finally arrived they were pissed.

"You knew that Malfoy brought all these brooms for his team, didn't you? And that our practice today would be canceled."  
"I did", I admitted without shame. "And yes, it's nice to meet you too."  
"That was _really _low of him", the one I decided was Fred stated.

"Guys, really, you speak as if I could've done anything about it." I motioned them closer. "This isn't about Quidditch. This is about business."

"What do you want?", George asked warily. "Is it about that club of yours?"  
"Among others, yes. Harry dropped out last year, because of Quidditch practice I think, but you didn't. It's going to be reorganized this year and a bit more official too. I wanted to ask you if you're still interested. After all dueling is not just about curses. You can use all kinds of spells to distract or confuse your opponent and with all the pranking you do I thought that idea would appeal to you."

"Well, it has been kinda helpful-

"-but we're not going to join if it's an all-Slytherin thing."

I sneered. "Would I ask you if it was? Look, we mainly need you because at the end of the year we're going to make a little stunt show. An epic duel, studied of course, and we still need someone for the special effects."

"Oh, that-"  
"-we can do, my friend!"

The twins grinned at each other mischievously.

"There's something else. Two things, actually. For once I have another proposal for you. Do you remember last year? I offered to fund your pranks if you managed to get that turban off Quirrells head."  
"Yeah, we do."

"Well, if you had actually managed... that would have saved Harry and me a lot of trouble..."

The twins paled when they remembered what was on the back of Quirrells head.

"Anyway, this time it' not as dangerous. Which means I'd only fund you for a single year, but it'll be be easier for you to accomplish."  
"What is it?"

"I want you to find proof that Gilderoy Lockart is a fraud and expose him to the school."  
"Oh please!", Fred said, with George continuing: "Everyone can see that."  
"Seeing and believing are two different things. Lockart isn't just making things up after all. There really was a Banshee in Bandon, for example, and it really was defeated – just not by Lockart."  
"Then by whom?", they asked, now more curious.

"That doesn't matter. Fact is that he never did any of the things he wrote about. Other people did and he wiped their memory of it before claiming the fame for himself. At least that is what I believe he's done and my research supports it. But I have no proof. Annoy him. Ask him to demonstrate things. Ask him for help with something really dangerous – I'm sure you could find some beast in the forest for it. Drive him into a corner. Get him to confess and then record his confession – but make sure you are prepared to be memory-wiped! Best case you find a way to cancel his spell and then pretend it worked. That way you can give me the proof and I'll get it to the right people so he's being sacked."  
"That is a brilliant plan!"

"We're so on it!"

"Great. I knew I could count on you."  
"What's the second thing you wanted to ask?"

"Oh, I'm in need of a little diversion in two weeks Wednesday evening. You know, to keep Flich and Mrs Norris occupied. Can you think of something?"

"Sure can."

"As long as you can pay."  
I sighed. "How much do you want?"  
"Ten galleons should be fine."  
"Five."  
"Eight."  
"Six, and not a knut more."

The twins contemplated the offer for a moment. "Six and ten sickles?"  
"Deal."  
"Whohoo! Don't worry, you won't see a single hair of them for the whole night!"

"I better do not", I murmured darkly.

* * *

The second weekend was approaching far to fast. I had the feeling there were just so many things to do before Halloween and I had trouble fitting them all under one hat.

The first dueling session of the new year was a huge success. We had very few new members so we were able to start with dueling right away to brush up on our skills. Until Halloween I made it my aim to learn the Expelliarmus, followed by Stupor until Christmas. I had more time now that I didn't visit the muggleborn class anymore and made sure to talk to every member of the dueling club I didn't already call my friend personally at least once. I paid special attention to Hermione and Neville. The latter one had to admit that his spellwork had greatly improved now that he had a new wand but he was still a little disgruntled. No one in his house had believed his story about how he had spent his summer holiday, which lead to him seeking comfort in the club. I was totally fine with that and made sure that all of the members knew the truth and praised him accordingly.

In the evening I went to bed early and spoke with one of the many wooden snakes carved into my bedpost. Sleepily Notch raised his head from his terrarium but was content when I transfigured one of my socks into a mouse and gave it to him.

I commanded the wooden snake to get down through the toilet of the boys dormitory and follow the pipes down to the place they all met and search for the great chamber that was full with its kind. There it was to wait for a message for me.

The snake needed another two days to return and tell me that the 'big one' reported a red headed girl who spoke with the voice of the heir to have awakened and commanded it to prepare for the hunt.

It was time to visit the chamber again.

On Wednesday evening all hell broke loose on the sixth floor. I wasn't too keen on finding out what happened but it involved Peeves, Percy getting his nose broken and a bunch of dung bombs. Filch would have to clean up the mess for the next three days.

Using the Invisibility Cloak I sneaked out of my dorm and towards the second floor. Quiet sobbing greeted me when I entered the bathroom. Without a soul, living or dead, noticing it I slipped into the room and carefully opened my bag. In there were a dozen of little wooden runes, a bottle of human blood, three vials of potion and a piece of parchment with a text written in Latin on it.

First however I pulled out my wand and cast the most powerful privacy charms I knew. It wouldn't do for anyone to hear Myrtles screams when I exorcised her.

* * *

I only went down to the Chamber once and that was mainly to get the poison and scales I had promised to Nekrys. However I did advise my big 'brother' to continue to listen to the copy-cat-heir, as I had begun to call Diary-Riddle. He just had to take care not to look at anyone directly and only petrify. Also I would sent one of the wooden snakes down for him to report to on a regular basis.

My exorcism of the terrible girl in the bathroom had gone fine. I had successfully sent her over to the next great adventure and I was eager to do the same with another certain ghost. It was Friday night and I was sure no one would notice his absence until Monday morning. That was why I was sneaking around under my Invisibility cloak and I was just about to open the door to the staff room where, as my wooden spies had told me, my target stayed when not in class, when a quiet voice called out to me.

"What are you doing here?"

I spun around so fast I almost lost my cloak. There in the door frame stood one little girl, looking up to me with bright blue eyes. She wore a pink pajama with red radish on it. Here feet were bare and in her left hand was a stuffed animal that looked like a giant millipede with the horns of a goat.

I almost answered, only remembering at the last moment that she couldn't see me. I looked behind me but I hadn't opened the door yet and there was no one around.

"Are you... talking to me?", I finally asked after the girl repeated her question. She didn't seem to look directly at me, but certainly in my direction.

The girl nodded. There was a scowl on her face and as far as I knew Luna Lovegood _never _scowled. This was really strange.

"Look – it's none of your business. Go back to your common room."

She looked at me funny. "Are you a bug?"

I stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"You do not belong here. There is no Charles Potter", she said. What really bothered me was that she didn't sound dreamy at all.

I pulled away the cloak, now glaring at her angrily. "How did you know it was me?!"

She blinked at me as if that was a stupid question. "I just did."

"That's not possible!" I grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her close. "There was no way you would-"  
Her eyes widened almost comically. L-let me go! I swear, if you try anything I'll mail to the support!"

For a moment I gaped at her open mouthed. Was she implying...?

"Wait", I said, wanting to test something out. "Are you saying... You're not a NPC?"

She looked at me in realization as I released her. "You... You're a real player?"

I nodded dumbly.

"I'm... I'm sorry then. I didn't realize there would be other players around. I'm in story-mode, after all."

Oh Merlin. Oh sweet, sweet Merlin! Luna thought she was in a fucking _computer game. _A role play at that, probably one where you took the place of a common HP character. She wasn't from this world. She was from _mine._

I combed through my hair with my free hand, the other one still holding the Invisibility cloak.

"By Salazar, this is so fucked up", I cursed silently. "Wait did you... Did you read the books?"  
"Well, no. That would ruin all the fun, wouldn't it?" She smiled a little uncertain.  
Right. _Sweet Merlin. _

"Alright – look, I know this is not what you wanted, but I'm here now and I won't leave anytime soon", I said. "I have been here for longer so I have probably more right to be here then you. If you'd mail so the support they'd just throw you out and you'd had to start all over again."  
"That wouldn't be that bad", she said wryly. "I'm still in the tutorial after all. It's my first time playing a real life game."

"Tutorial?"  
"Well, you know for Luna the story mode only starts in fifth year. Until then you only get a crash course through the general controls and spells and such. During the meantime my chara runs on autopilot. I chose her because no one will think much of it even if I'm going afk in the middle of a conversation."

That was because Luna always spaced out and everyone thought her crazy. _Sweet Merlin. _

But she was crazy, wasn't she? This wasn't a computer game. This was real. I had lived in the Potterverse for twelve years now. I wasn't in a game.

Or was I?

This was the first time I met a person who _knew _of the HP books, who knew this world was not real. Only that it was. At least my life was. Or – oh, damn it!

Anyway, I couldn't have her report to anybody. She mustn't get suspicious. For all I knew her mailing the support could effectively wipe out my existence.

"You know", I said, "That's the first time for me to play this game too. I hadn't really noticed but now that you're saying it, it _is _odd that there are no other players around. At least none I have met. They're all exactly as they're in the books. That got boring after some time so I began to change the story line. It may not be single player mode, but during to the bug we're here now together and I really want to keep my scores. Let's just form a group and play together."

"Well..." She thought about it for a moment. "I guess the world is big enough. I suppose I could share it with you." Oh well, wasn't that nice?

"What quest are you working at?"

"Uh... currently I'm working on exorcising Binns."

"Really? That sounds interesting. You have to be really good if you can manage that at your current level."

"You can see my level?"

"Of course. Can't you?"

"No..." Shit, now I needed an explanation. "Tell me, what class are you?" In most role games you chose a race first and then a class. Depending on your choice your abilities could be very different.

"I'm an artist. I know that's not a strong class but I'm more into the life simulation part of the game anyway."

"Oh, well I'm an adventurer. It's all about daring and finding out secrets, which is why I can't do certain things like... like seeing other peoples levels or... or a map." Oh please, god, let her have a minimap!

"You don't have a map? But how do you find your way around Hogwarts?"

Thank you!

"I have a good memory."  
"Wait, but... " She scowled harder, "I never heard of an adventurer class."  
"Oh, it's one you can chose at a certain point when you're a warrior."  
"You mean a war mage."  
"Yes. That." I was sweating now.

"Well, it'll be some time until we can really play together because I'm doing the tutorial and you seem to go through all seven years... but I guess I could help you with your current quest. What are the rewards?"  
"The education level of the history classes will raise considerably. I'm mainly doing it to raise my wit stat, you know I need it for all kinds of riddles." I was praying that whatever I said made sense to her. I had no idea what kind of role play she believed to be in. It could very well be that there was no such thing as a wit stat (although in most I had played there was) or that it couldn't be raised. But if she was new to the game it was possible that she'd take the bait.

She did.

"Alright. I could go and scout the area if you'd like. You know, keep the caretaker away."

"That would be perfect, thank you."

She nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Luna? If you're online again, you can always check on me and we could play together again."

"Then we should agree on a password to check if the other isn't running on autopilot. Something like... 'Nargles are the most adorable things ever!'"  
"Alright... why that though?"  
"Well, no one in his right mind would ever say something like that. There's nothing more ugly in the world then a Nargle. If you're online too, just agree with me."

"Sounds about right."  
"Alright, I see you later then. Bye, Charles!"

And with those words she turned around and began to wander down the corridor, humming a happy tune.

Once she was out of sight I supported myself by leaning against the wall and took a deep breath.

Luna had me thoroughly confused. I had been in this world for so long that I had adapted completely to it. I stopped thinking about my old life ages ago. Shit, it was even hard to _remember _most of it. I had to concentrate for _two freaking minutes _to remember my real name! Regarding Potterfacts my memory was practically photographic but my family were nothing but shadows in my mind. The only thing I had always known to be true was that this world was not real – that Harry and Hermione and Draco and even Voldemort were not real and that thus there was no reason to care about or to fear them.

Now I had met another person like me. I didn't know who took Luna Lovegoods place tonight but there were only two explanations for her behavior. One, she was bat shit insane. But Luna was a pureblood, or at least raised as one. She had no idea about the game jargon.

That left only explanation number two: Luna was real and we were indeed trapped in the same game.

But that wasn't possible, right? There was no game that let you experience the world the way I did. Not for several years. I never returned to my old life. Did that mean that the real me was comatose and and my mind was trapped inside of a game?

Whatever it was I had to find out more about it. From what I understood Lunas game had two mode, story mode and multiplayer mode. In SM you were alone, taking the place of a random HP character. You had your quests, your level, your abilities and class. You followed through with the storyline of the books. In MM you could form groups with other players to complete quests and earn EXP, experience points and raise your level. The easiest way to do that was to hunt monsters. I suppose the Forbidden Forest would count as a hunting ground then. Hogwarts would be like a gigantic server, very student a real player with only a few people like the teachers being NPC (non playing characters).

I had to find out more about it but if Luna was only sporadically online until fifth year I would have little time to do so. Therefore I couldn't forget about my other plans either. Luna could prove to be invaluable. She had a minimap – a map that showed your position and likely your surroundings, approaching danger, players and such in an edge of your screen. Such a thing was even more useful then a Marauders Map, especially if she could search for people with it. Not to mention she was virtually immortal, being able to start over from a certain checkpoint again and again. With her at my side there was nothing that was impossible for me. At least not in this world.

Gods, this was so fucked up.

I pulled myself together. I couldn't let myself be distracted. Not even... Not even from the possibility to get home. Or the fact that I wasn't even sure where home was anymore. There was a ghost I had to exorcise and thanks to Luna I had the whole night to do it.


	7. The Founding Days

History of Magic was being canceled for the next week. It took until Wednesday for someone to notify the staff that Professor Binns failed to show up to any of his lessons. I took that as a sign how much attention everyone paid to him. When he didn't show up at the end of the week and none of the ghosts had any idea where he was a school-wide search was being called. Of course it was fruitless.

Exorcising Binns had been even easier then Myrtle. I had needed the distraction the Weasley twins had provided then and still no one had found out she was gone. But with Binns I had been able to place all my runes and draw the circle around the ghost wearing my Invisibility cloak without the professor who was sleeping in his chair even noticing me. When he did it was already too late. None of my dorm mates had seen me sneaking out and even if they had they'd never rat me out. That was why it should be literally impossible for anyone to suspect me.

Of course someone did anyway.

It was Friday again and I had just discussed the next dueling session with my minions in the common room. Several students from the higher years had joined us. However I couldn't but notice that the Bloody Baron, who hovered in the shadows of the chimney, was watching me the entire time. Finally I send them all to bed and pretended to do my homework.

"Why don't you come over here and tell me what you have on your mind?", I asked without looking up when I couldn't hear their steps anymore.

Richard Cunningham, the house ghost of Slytherin, slid towards me watching me closely.

"Cuthbert Binns is gone", he said with his raspy, dark voice.

"I noticed."

"You don't seem too upset."

"Should I?", I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was a professor at your school."  
"And a terrible one at that."  
Cunningham sneered. "Not as terrible as this blonde fraud."  
"You mean Lockart?" I pulled my wand to cast a privacy charm before saying: "That man is a disgrace to all wizardkind. But even if he were to mysteriously vanish, Dumbledore wouldn't be able to get a replacement. We'd be sent someone from the ministry. I'd rather have it the students learn nothing at all for a year then those people meddling with Hogwarts' affairs."

"So you're getting rid of _him _but this filthy piece of vermin you let live!?", the baron hissed furiously.

Now I turned towards him completely. "My, my, Richard, you seem upset. Was Binns that close to you?"

"I might have liked him the least from my kind but he was a fellow ghost. If it is really your aim to better the school I'm just asking myself why you took him first when there are far more pressing matters."

My glare grew cold. "Binns was already dead. Even if people found out, they'd think I probably did him a favor. Defense is not that important, not with the club running so well. I've already killed the last excuse for a defense teacher myself, I can't do it again. He is too public a person. I will not have to anyway. After all the position is cursed. Some way or another he'll be gone at the end of the year."

The ghost gave me a wary look. "I've heard the rumors. So it is true then? The position is really cursed?"

"It is. The curse makes it so the worst side of them gets out to the light. For someone like Lockart who has a rather delicate dirty little secret it should ruin his reputation and ability to get a job forever. Do not worry about it. I've already set something in motion for him."

I pretended to get back to my homework but looked up again when the Bloody Baron didn't make a move to leave.

"Is there something else, Richard? Another professor you want gone?"

He averted his gaze uneasily. "No. Not gone, but..."

I sighed. "What is it?"

"It's about our head of house, Severus Snape", he whispered.

"What about him? You can't exactly complain about a lack of skills."

"No, his skills are without fail. But it is largely during to his polar treatment that Slytherin house has been unable to integrate with the other houses for years. I... I would not mention this if I hadn't noticed that you had made endeavors to form connections with students from other houses. He could damage your plans."

"I am aware of that problem. Snape is a terrible head of house... during peace times. But when Slytherin is being threatened I wouldn't want to have anyone else in this position. He will protect the students from harm and I have the distinct feeling that we will need this protection soon. He too will have to leave this castle sooner then he'd like... But you'll have to be patient for another few years. I have still use for him."

"I see. Is there anything I can do to... speed up the process?"

I watched him warily. If the Bloody Baron offered you his help you'd better be damn suspicious.

"Of getting rid of Snape or Lockart?", I asked finally.

"Lockart."  
"There is indeed something... The Headmaster and I had a little disagreement at the end of the last year. Normally I wouldn't give it any thought but he is in a position of power. Of great power, indeed. Since you're a ghost you can not only turn invisible but you also have means to not to be sensed by wizards, is that right?" Nekrys had told me a lot about it since it was the main problem a Necromancer had to overcome when trapping a ghost. They could just vanish into thin air whenever they liked without really going anywhere else.

"You want me to spy on the Headmaster?"

"I'd like to know what he and the other professors think of me. Whenever or not they see any truth in the rumors about me. To this very day I still don't know if he was told the crazy story I gave my so called brother in order to explain certain unexplainable things I did in the past. If I can avoid drawing his attention I may have more means to approach the Lockart-matter."

"If that's all."  
I raised an eyebrow. "You'll do it?"  
He sneered. "Never really liked that old goat."

At that I actually had to laugh. I'd have to see how sincere the Baron really was but having such an efficient spy would be wonderful. The uses of my snakes were limited. People tended to oversee house elves but Dumbledore was one of the few people who didn't. But no one, and I mean _no one, _as far as I knew, had ever considered the possibility of a ghost spying on them. Being haunted, sure, but older ghosts were that indifferent towards anything as fleeting as human lives they just couldn't be bothered. That was why they were a resource underestimated by everyone. A resource I planned on putting to good use.

Halloween. The night of all nights. From Nekrys I knew that the dead ones were closest to the living world on this night. It was a night full of magic.

It was Voldemorts favorite night.

Unfortunately Voldemort was bat shit insane. Announcing his return with some bloody graffiti in front of a girls lavatory didn't exactly have much class.

During to my reputation I was bound to be one of the prime suspects for the following events, which was why I made sure to have a flock of followers around me for the whole afternoon before I went to the Halloween feast. I made homework together with Hermione, Daphne and Theodore, helped Neville practicing his Expelliarmus while Draco got private lessons in transfiguration from a fourth year Hufflepuff in another corner of the RoR and I was discussing who'd be Binns replacement at dinner with Draco and another fifth year Ravenclaw, both of whom had parents at the School Governors Board. In short I had a perfect alibi for the whole day without being obvious about it. Still I was kind of giddy the whole evening and I think my minions felt it too. They kept shooting me questioning glances but no one was willing to get on my bad side by actually asking what was going on. They knew if they had to know I would tell them. Otherwise they'd never get anything out of me.

Finally the feast was over and the food disappeared. Without hurry I stood up and went with the crowd when they left the Great Hall. We were in the ground floor and our common room was in the dungeons, but I _really _wanted to see Harrys face when Filch accused him of killing his cat so I mentioned something about having to pick up a book from the library and took my minions together with a bunch of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws towards the stairs.

I was not at the front of the crowd but still close enough to get a good look at the bloody message once the first row stopped in shock.

Draco took one look at the graffiti and the shell shocked Harry and Ron in front of it before a large grin threatened to split his face apart.

"Enemies of the heir, beware!", he read aloud, looking as if Christmas had come early. "You'll be the next-" I stepped on his foot, hard.

"Uff!" I glared at him and he shut up.

Attracted by Malfoys shouts Argus Filch fought his way through the crowd. "What's going on here? What's going on?"

Then he saw the stiff cat and his eyes widened in horror. I was barely able to suppress a chuckle when a similar expression appeared on Harrys face once the caretaker started shouting death threats at him.

But the fun was cut short because now Dumbledore and the other teachers arrived. They took the two boys, Filch and the cat with them to Lockarts office and the rest of the students was ushered away by Professor Sprout.

None of my minions questioned me about the incident, although they all kept shooting me glances when they thought no one was looking. I refused to approach the subject first, which was why we were one of the very few groups in the school who didn't discuss Mrs Norris petrification regularly. Hermione however spent hours to no end in the library and couldn't understand why I wouldn't help her.

"But aren't you excited at all?", she used to ask me. "I mean, it's terrible what happened to Mrs Norris and all that, but the Chamber of Secrets! I know I read about it, I just can't find a copy of 'Hogwarts, a History' anymore in the library. I remember that it was said to be build by Salazar Slytherin himself, surely that would interest you?"

"Herminny", I sighed, ignoring her scowl at being called yet another name, "It's not that easy around Slytherin. Either the message is a fake, then we can't afford to fall for it, it would ridicule us. Or the message is real, which would mean there is a real heir out there. A heir who, judging by Mrs Norris condition, has very bad intentions. Considering Slytherins history those intentions are likely to go against muggleborns. In Slytherin you'd be either for the heir or against him. If you're for him you'll do well to shut your mouth, watch silently and applaud him only when he's done. If you're against him you shut your mouth as well because when there's one thing for families as old as the Slytherins that's worse then muggleborns, it's bloodtraitors."

"So you're afraid?" She let out an hollow laugh. "You? You cannot expect me to believe that."

I shrugged. "Call it peer pressure."  
"No Charles, there's more to it, I know it."

Slowly I came closer to her, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "You forget that I know what is to come, Helena. I _am _doing research, just not where everyone else can see it. You should take that as an example."

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. "But... But I'm just so curious!"

"I know. Look, why don't you just... ask our new history teacher, hm? Snape told me that he's going to arrive in two days. If he can't tell you anything new you'll let the matter drop."

"Oh, you know who's gonna replace Professor Binns?"  
"No, I just had one of my lessons with Snape yesterday and he told me, that's all."  
"Oh, I'm so exited! How do you think he will be like?"  
And that put her mind off the subject effectively.

What I had said about the new History teacher was true and sure enough, two days later at dinner Dumbledore introduced a certain Professor Sibwayn.

Sibwayn was a man of average height with dark curls and even darker eyes. His simple black robes were void of any decorations and just like Snape who he sat next to he seemed to somehow melt into the shadows. When Dumbldedore called his name he stood and gave a little bow before sitting down again and giving the students a small smile.

During dinner I saw him conversing with Professor Snape and Vector. Once Lockart tried to approach him too but it seemed he made some kind of insulting remark because Sibwayn gave him a look of disgust before refusing to speak to him.

He didn't touch his food the entire time.

I was honestly curious about that new teacher. After all last year a teacher died, the ghost Professor somehow vanished with no one knowing what happened and now the rumors said the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Finding new teachers would be hard for Dumbldedore, not only for the Defense post. This guy was either a complete failure as a wizard or dangerous enough himself to have the confidence to counter everything Hogwarts could possibly throw at him. Which was a lot.

For the Slytherins History was taught together with the Ravenclaws. Surprisingly there was a change in the timetable. The lessons now started at 6pm. That was all very weird and when I went to class with my minions in tow it was with a lot of expectations.

"Good evening, class", Sibwayn greeted once everyone was seated. "Welcome to History of Magic. My name is Professor Amon Sibwayn and I will be replacing Professor Binns until further notice. Now can someone of you tell me what already you covered this school year?"

Silence. Everyone stared at him incredulously.

Finally Hermione raised her hand.  
"Yes, Miss...?"  
"Granger, Sir. Hermione Granger. "We were covering the International Warlock Convention of 1289."

"Really? Respect, you're the first class that actually remembers anything from what Professor Binns taught you. Still I suppose no one will be too sad if I make a few changes to the curriculum." He turned around and began to write on the blackboard. "For second year we will be covering wizards history from the Middle Age up until now with focus on the last two Great Wars after Easter."

Promptly Hermione raised her hand again and I _might _have seen Sibwayn rolling his eyes for a moment before he turned towards her.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Sir, does that mean we get to learn about the founding of Hogwarts?"

"Since it is part of the educational reformation, we will talk about it briefly, yes."  
"And Sir, can you tell us something about the Chamber of Secrets?"

The class was for a change not asleep but they hadn't seemed particularly interested in the subject either. Now however everyone's eyes were fixed on Professor Sibwayn in rapt attention.

The black haired man looked around the room smugly. "I understand that this is of high interest for you. But in order to fully understand that legend you have to know what life during the Middle Age meant for a witch or wizard. This is a great start for our first lesson, students." Sibwayn moved behind his desk and came back with a pile of old books that he ordered Nott to hand out.

"These books belong to the school but you're allowed to borrow them until next week. Pinned to each of it is a list of school books you'll need to order for the rest of the year. Please have them ready in two weeks. Now please open page 27."

After everyone had complied he began to explain:  
"You may have heard of the word 'Inquisition' before. About Christian muggle hunting down witches. Around the turn of the millennium the position of wizardkind was already very dangerous. The muggles were not yet that organized but soon they would be. Now you may not think muggles much of a threat. But remember that there was no magical school around that time. Wizards leaned everything they could from their parents. Muggleborns therefore knew next to nothing at all. Often they were seen as being possessed by the devil. Their own parents would drown them or put them under cruel exorcisms. The few Muggleborns that survived only did so because they found other magical people to help them, often through finding love. They carried their beliefs of witches being less worthy then wizards, more dangerous or even more evil into their families. That was simply the way muggle woman were being raised around that time. Therefore very few wizards and even less witches were educated in the way of magic. Now imagine yourself with the current standard of knowledge you have today having to fight against a bunch of angry muggles. Of course there a spells and curses to ward them of. Of course there is a charm that freezes fire and can help you to escape when they burn you on a stake. But few of these people actually knew those spells. And that's not even taking into account that wandlore was just about to develop. In ancient times wizards used staffs and crystal orbs or potions to channel their magic. Wands were very expensive and few families could afford one, let alone to waste it onto their children. Altogether it's not very surprising that a lot of witches and wizards died by the hands of muggles.

The founding of Hogwarts brought hope in a time of darkness. Having a wand was mandatory to attend school and there was a fund that allowed those that did not have the money to get one and repay the dept later in their life. Students didn't have to learn from their parents who at best knew only a small portion of specialized magic and at the worst nothing at all. They were able to learn from four masters of their fields. Godric Gryffindor taught Defense, Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. Helga Hufflepuff taught Charms, Astronomy and Herbology. Rowena Ravenclaw taught Language, Potions and Arithmancy. Salazar Slytherin taught Runes, Warding and Curse Breaking. They were all masters of their respective fields and this way the students were able to get a broad education. But the founders had very different opinions on what the purpose of their school should be. Gryffindor wanted to focus on them being able to defend themselves from both muggles and dark wizards. Therefore he saw little sense in allowing those with little magical power, the sick or the crippled into the school. Ravenclaw saw the school purely as a place of education, a great chance for everyone magical. Therefore she was very strict and would have liked to expel everyone who did not do well enough in class, the lazy and dumb ones. Slytherin saw the greatest threat for Hogwarts in the muggleborns. Even if they were magical themselves, they were bound to tell other muggles, family and friends about what they did and provide the muggles with a way to find and eventually attack the school they had to think the work of the devil. Hufflepuff was the only one who wanted to take in all children, regardless of their condition, blood status or intelligence.

Eventually they found a solution in the founding of the four houses. Slytherin took charge of the Hogwarts wards. As you may know, the castle is unplottable and the wards could be activated by the Professors should there ever be an attack. Those old wards are still intact and were used many times in the following centuries. Everything seemed well until Gryffindor and Slytherin, who were known to be very close friends, had a major fallling-out. The muggleborn-problem had been an object of many quarrels before and in one of those Gryffindor insulted Slytherins family. Since Slytherin had recently lost his wife he took the insult rather personally and left in a fit of rage."

Sibwayn paused for a moment and I asked myself how the hell he knew all of those details. I had read 'Hogwarts, a History' which seemed to be the universal reference book when it came to the castle but I never even heard which subjects the founders had taught. I had always assumed Slytherin taught potions. It made sense however that most of his subjects weren't taught at Hogwarts at all. If he had only been at Hogwarts for a few years there wouldn't have been enough time to raise a worthy successor.

"Is that... is that when he build the Chamber of Secrets?", Lisa Turpin, another of my friends from Ravenclaw, asked.

"The Chamber of Secrets is a myth that was developed in the early 14th century. Primary sources simply speak of 'Slytherins Chamber'. It seems the knowledge of what or where the chamber is simply got lost and was rediscovered only three hundred years later. Therefore it is unsure if the chamber actually exists, if it did then whenever or not it was kept a secret from the other founders and what its purpose was. Also the context in which earlier texts speak of it suggests that the chamber, while it had been build by the founder, didn't belong solely to him or even just his family. Apparently it had been open to the whole house of Slytherin. Generations of Students are said to have come back to store their knowledge in it. It is entirely possible that the chamber contains a hidden library or a collection of artifacts. Others speculate that the chamber contains the so-called 'guardian of Slytherin', a creature or spirit that watches over the house and defended it against anyone who would threaten it. Since Slytherin specialized in warding he would be able to not only create but to hide such a place even for centuries to come.

More malicious sources from the late 18th century presume that whatever is hidden in the chamber was meant to enforce Slytherins will in chasing away the muggleborns. This belief is supported by written records that say Salazar Slytherin was afraid a horde of angry muggles would someday come and attack Hogwarts. Even the most powerful wards could only hold that long after all."

"So you think the Chamber of Secrets is real?", Hermione asked. "And it's been opened?"  
"There are a lot of indications, none of which however can be called solid proof. An opening of the chamber would require a serious threat to Slytherin house. As such a thing is, to my knowledge, not at hand one is to assume that whoever opened it is misusing his power in a way that was not originally intended by Slytherin himself. Writings at the wall, the attack of the cat, all of this points towards an immature, malicious mind who does not understand what kind of precious treasure he has stumbled over."

Unconsciously I found myself nodding in agreement with the Professor. His explanation agreed with the speech Slytherins portrait had given me a year ago. In fact it was logical and detailed in a way that would almost suggest Sibwayn to be present around that time himself. But that was impossible. Or was it?

Sibwayn ordered us to read in our books and at the end of the hour he gave us homework to do. We were to write an essay about the living conditions of an average wizard before Hogwarts had been founded with notice of the political changes during that time. He said we'd discuss and summarize the subject in the next class before moving on to the era of Merlin, who had been one of the first great wizards Hogwarts produced after its founding. And he had been a Slytherin. Which no one ever mentioned to me. Blasted school!

It was the last class of the day but I ordered my minions to go ahead without me. Sibwayn was cleaning the blackboard and for a moment I wondered why he didn't use magic to do it.

"Professor", I said to draw his attention to me.

"Yes, Mr...?"  
"Potter, Sir. Charles Potter."

He didn't bat an eye upon hearing my name, which for a new teacher was a first one.

"What can I do for you, Mr Potter?"  
I gave him an honest smile. "Oh, you've already done enough. I wanted to thank you for your speech today. With everything that's going on in this school lately I was afraid the prejudices against my house would only grow. I hope you gave some of them food for thought today."

Sibwayn haltered in his movement and finally put the sponge away. "Yes, I am aware that some of you might be in danger to fall victim of revenge-seeking other students... should this madness continue. But above all I am a historian and it is my duty to bring the truth to the surface and nothing but the truth."

I couldn't hold back a small laugh. "Then you should prepare yourself for a lot of riddles, Professor." No pun intended. Well, maybe a little one. "Slytherins know how to keep their secrets. Whoever the idiot is who's done this, he will be hard to catch. Do you mind me asking if you were one of ours once?"

"You mean a Slytherin?" Sibwayn shook his head. "No, I didn't visit Hogwarts as a child. However I came here to study for my mastery for a few month as an adult. The library is a legend, even on the continent."

"It sure is. I'm glad we have such a competent Professor in this subject for a change." I turned to leave and muttered quietly under my breath: "Even if it's a vampire."

Sibwayns gaze pierced me sharply and without wanting to he confirmed my suspicion. No human would've been able to hear those words.

I gave him a clever smirk and winked before leaving the class room.

This could get interesting.


	8. Minions and friends

"Charles, we have to talk."

I grabbed my heart in mock horror and turned around to face Hermione.  
"Oh no, honey, don't tell me you're breaking up with me!?"

Theo and Tracey, with whom I had been discussing the next dueling session, laughed at my display. Hermione went bright red but I just smiled at her good-natured and told the two Slytherins to wait for me in the common room before I lead the Ravenclaw girl into a nearby empty classroom.

"Alright, Minnie. Let's talk."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she was so used to me calling her nick names that she didn't even comment on it any longer. "I've been thinking", I refrained from making any cruel jokes, "about that incident with the chamber... And about what Professor Sibwayn said."

"And what kind of conclusion did you come to?"

She bit her lip nervously. "Professor Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs Norris. That made me think that maybe whatever attacked her isn't... well, human. And Professor Sibwayn said the chamber could contain some kind of spirit or creature, the 'guardian of Slytherin'. And well, Slytherin was known to speak Parseltongue and his heraldic animal is a snake, that's why I think... Well, I think if such a chamber really exists then the creature would have to be some kind of snake. You know, then only a heir of Slytherin, someone who inherited his gift to speak to snakes, could control it. And then I remembered what you said about... About the Ouroboros last year. You said it's host was usually some kind of magical snake. The more I thought about it the more surreal the whole thing seemed but now... Well, you said that a huge snake was hidden under the foundations of Hogwarts. That cannot be a coincidence."

I was really impressed with her quick thinking and I showed her as much.

"Wow, Helena, that was awesome! I would've given you at least another month but it took you, what, two weeks? You're the brightest witch your age, did I already tell you that?"

Hermione blushed some more but scowled at me nonetheless. "Don't change the subject! Tell me what you know about it, please."  
I sighed and sat down on a nearby desk. "It's true, the guardian of Slytherin is a snake-like creature. I don't exactly know which one since I never actually met him. I'm only hearing his voice occasionally. The heir came to wake him something like two weeks into the term for the first time. He couldn't tell me who it was though. Snakes have terrible eyesight and the description of the scent didn't exactly tell me much. Anyway I would've liked to meet someone else who knew about the Ouroboros so I began searching and told the host to do whatever the new one wanted so I could find him. Now everything is different. The heir has proven to have not only bad taste but to be a sadistic bully too. Of course I still want to find him but only in order to expose him and make sure he or she is expelled."

"Oh, I'm sure the Professors could help-"  
"No, Hermin", I said resolutely. "If they knew my friend is down there they'd do everything to kill him. Do I have to remember you what would happen if the host of the Ouroboros died? The entire universe would get incredibly unstable. Not to mention I'd lose my source of future knowledge. If the whole world wouldn't get destroyed, mine certainly would."

She looked at me hesitantly. "But... But what if there's another attack. What if a student is hurt?"  
"Petrification isn't really painful. I've given strict orders not to seriously hurt anybody. But I'm afraid catching the culprit is more important then you think. After all, the last heir of Slytherin was no one other then Moldyshorts himself."

Hermiones eyes widened in horror. "You – You don't think...?"

I shook my head. "He opened the chamber fifty years ago, when he was a student himself. The host still remembers his smell. This time it's someone else." I took her hand in mine. "Helena, I have to ask you to trust me with this. I have everything under control. But that's all I can tell you."  
"Do not question. Do not doubt. Tell no one." She sounded almost sad.

"Exactly. I promise, everything will turn out alright. But if you tell anyone – even just the thing about the guardian being a snake – it could end really badly for me."

She gulped visibly. "How badly?"

"Harry and I are both parselmouths – and he is already under suspicion. Let's just say we could be considered lucky if we manage to stay out of prison."

A trace of horror passed over her face but she caught herself quickly enough. "You can trust me, Charles. I will never betray you."  
Let's hope she would not. Else I'd be seriously screwed.

* * *

My brother Harry was not stupid. He wasn't overly intelligent but it would be nice to call him slightly above average nonetheless. Count to that that he had the lazy ginger to pull him down and no Granger to hold him up it was a rare sight to see him in the library. These days I always surrounded myself with my minions to have an alibi if something unexpected happened. Now though I told Daphne and Lisa to distract Madam Pince while I continued to browse the book shelves. Finally I found a position from which I could hear their whispered conversation without being seen. Pulling out a random book I was even able to get a glance at them through the gap.

"That's no use!", Harry huffed and shut the book he had been scanning. "There's nothing in here. Maybe you should explain again exactly what you saw."

Ginger grinned as if there was nothing he'd rather do. "Well this girl – I think she was a Hufflepuff – met Lockart in a corridor and offered him some kind of chocolate. He was about to eat it but then Filch came and wanted to punish her for something stupid like being happy or bothering a teacher. You know how he is lately. Lockart told him off and offered him some chocolate to calm down. I had hid myself behind a pillar because I didn't want to end like the girl and I saw Fred and George passing by and Fred had his wand out and they were whispering to each other and watching those three and everything. The next moment Filch blurted out something about the whole staff thinking Lockart was secretly gay and in his time they wouldn't have allowed someone like him in but then again, they wouldn't have allowed Filch in either because he was a squib. After that I couldn't hold my laughter any longer and now I have detention with him."

"Wait a moment... Did you actually see one of your brothers cast any spells?"

Ron shook his head.

"Then it could be possible that it wasn't a spell at all. Maybe they were the ones who sent the girl. Maybe there was something in the chocolate?"

"You mean some sort of truth potion?"

"Exactly. Then it's clear why we haven't found anything in these books. We were searching for the wrong subject."

The ginger groaned and let his head fall on the table. "Why does it have to be so difficult? It's obvious that it's Malfoy. Why won't they just expel him?"

"They can't without proof", Harry answered. "Though that didn't stop them from sending me a warning about the mess that house elf made at my aunt's..."

"Yeah, but I suck at potions! There has to be an easier way."  
"Let's give up for today. We can continue to search for potions tomorrow. If we find something we can still ask the twins for help."

Agreeing with my brother ginger and Harry left the library.

I was left behind grinning like an idiot.

They had given me an evil idea! Harry was sticking his nose into things that didn't concern him again. Let's teach him a thing or two about espionage.

* * *

Amelie Hawkins was a nice girl. Most say she was too nice for Slytherin but under her quiet surface rested a sharp mind with equally sharp claws and teeth to lash out at anyone who'd stand in her way. She was in Slytherin because she had great ambitions. Her mother had be a rather pathetic muggle and her wizard family really didn't like that a halfblood like her had been dumped on them. They weren't really mean to her and her father did his best to treat her just like he did her two pureblood half brothers but still she felt like she had to prove her worth every single day.

This was her chance to make a change.

She believed that acquiring power required to know who had the most before you could even begin to gather it yourself. Slytherin house was currently going through a change. It had started slowly but this someone from the second year Slytherins was building up a monopole of power, something that hadn't happened in decades. There were different rumors about who was the one to pull the strings and who was merely dancing to draw in the attention. It could be the Malfoy heir or maybe the charismatic Charles Potter. It was even possible that they were both just puppets lead by a particularly sneaky one of their classmates. People might think her silly for turning towards a student who was two years younger then her but she knew that you never got anywhere without risking something.

But getting into that circle was more difficult then she thought at the beginning. Amelies siblings had already left Hogwarts and she had no friends who were in on it, or at least visited those classes last year. That effectively stripped her of all the easy possibilities. On the other hand she didn't want to seem to needy. That would just make her seem weak and her pride wouldn't allow it anyway.

But recently an opportunity had presented itself that she couldn't dismiss. Theodore Nott who was rumored to be in the top ranks had slipped her a note during dinner. It said:

_Opportunity Quest _

_Time limit: Tomorrow afternoon_

_Instructions: Get yourself a slip for the restricted section of the library. _

_Borrow the book 'Moste Potente Potions'. Go to page 567, line 16 and change the word 'wormwood' into 'holly', line 24 change stirring 'four times' to 'five times'._

_Go back to the library right after lunch and place the book on the table in the potions section of the unrestricted section. Apply a _Cleaveing Charm_ to make sure the book will open on page 565 when being scanned through._

_Order another copy of Moste Potente Potions and give it back to Madam Pince exactly one week later._

_Rewards: Initiation_

_Do not question. Do not doubt. Tell no one._

Amelie thought her heart skipped a beat upon reading the note. This was her chance! They were testing her, to see if she was clever enough to get into the restricted section without breaking any rules, testing if she could follow orders even if she didn't know who gave them or what they were for. Still the task was easy enough. Even is she was caught there was absolutely no risk for her. It was her ticket to get into that blasted dueling club where she would finally be able to show what she was capable of. Maybe then her father would look at her with the same pride in his eyes as he he did with her brothers.

She didn't know which poor soul would suffer from what was likely a prank or revenge from the circle but she didn't care much about it either. You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs. And honestly, what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

It was the first Quidditch game of the season; Gryffindor versus Slytherin. I was eerily remembered of last year as I stood under the wooden structure of the stadium, waiting for my minions. It was ten minutes before the game started that Daphne made her way towards me, Fred and George Weasley in tow. Daphne, who had talent in potions, had helped the twins with their pranks twice already. They only saw each other during the dueling session but I suspected she might have a crush on George. Anyway from all of my minions those two would follow her most likely.

"Thanks Daphne." I nodded towards her and the Slytherin gave a shy smile towards the twins before leaving.

"What is it, Charles?"  
"Why have you brought us here?"

"Do you have any idea-"  
"-how mad Oliver will be when we're not there for his opening speech?", the twins complained in their usual manner.

"I'm sorry for holding you back, but this is important", I said seriously. "I have a mission for you."

The twins were immediately alert.

"We've heard about that-"  
"-you giving commands to people-"  
"-like you owned them or something-"

"-and we will not take part in it!"

"You better do", I hissed angrily, "if you don't want somebody to get hurt."

One of the twins stepped closer to me, daring me: "Are you threatening us, Potter?"

"Calm down. You have no idea what this is about. I am trying to _help _people. I am trying to give them a purpose."

"Oh, really? Who did you help when you ordered Granger to do your transfiguration homework for you?"  
"Or when you told Davis to curse the Kinney brothers?"

"Or when Mitch Harvey got detention for flooding Lockarts office when we happen to know that those Ravenclaw firsties were responsible?"

I took a deep, angry breath. "Well, if you're so keen to find out, I'll tell you! Listen closely because I will only explain this once. The brother of one of those first years asked me to protect them. You know that Filch tends to send students into the forest for detention and it was him who caught them. Mitch is a seventh year who isn't a stranger to trouble, for him such a punishment was nothing and he was compensated for it. I ordered the Kinney brothers to be cursed because they are assholes who bullied a classmate of one of my people. She was to weak to protect herself so I did it for her. The homework Granger did was on a fourth year subject. It currently hangs in our common room. Three of our players today can now copy it and thus won't get detention for not having their essay because they trained for Quidditch so much. I get so many requests every day I couldn't work on all of them even if I tried. On the other hand people don't know who else to turn to and most wouldn't help a stranger when asked anyway. It's my rule not to explain myself as often as possible because sometimes little rules have to be broken in order to bring justice or protect someone. I thought you of all people would understand that."

The twins were silent for a moment. They exchanged looks and I was almost sure they communicated in some quiet way only twins could use. If their last name wasn't Potter, that is.

"What do you want us to do?", Fred asked finally.

"I want you to cheat today", I stated and drew my wand. "I'll enchant your bats so the bludgers you hit with them will fly way out of the field."  
"You can't! When the bludgers are out they'll pause the game and they'll check us. We'd get kicked from the field!"

"You just want Slytherin to win!"

"Why should we do that?"

I was getting more and more angry. We were wasting too much time. "Fine! If I tell you, will you promise to take on any future missions or quests I give you without question – without telling anyone?"

Again they exchanged worried looks.

"Well, maybe, within reason..."

"...if your explanation is any good..."

"...and only as long as we're business partners, of course."

Now I had to surpress a grin. I hadn't expected them to agree so easily. They had to be really curious.  
"Someone is planning on hexing a bludger", I explained. "It's going to concentrate on one particular player for the whole game. It's aim is to knock him off his broom."  
"Really?" Fred gave me a thoughtful look. "You mean someone is sabotaging the Slytherin team? Is this about Malfoy?"  
"I'm not talking about Malfoy. I'm talking about my brother, you dimwits. Someone wants to kill him and as last year showed, the game is a perfect opportunity to do so."

"Wait, someone wants to kill Harry!?"  
"Does that mean you saved him last year too when he almost fell?"

I nodded. "Yes but this time I don't know where the attacker is hiding, therefore I can't disrupt his curse. It's your job to protect him anyway, I'm just sharpening your weapons."

The twins now seemed to be determined. "Alright, do it then. That bludger isn't going to even come close to him!"

I smirked at them grimly as they handed me their bats.

"You're going to get that asshole, aren't you?", George asked when I was finished. "You're going to curse him to hell."  
"Three times and back again", I promised darkly, "you can bet your life on it."

* * *

The next morning my first lesson was potions. Before I even got to the classroom I was visited by a friend.

"Eh, Charles" Malfoy said, who was walking next to me to the classroom, "do you have any idea why that snake's following you?" He pointed to a portrait where a tall bearded guy had climbed on his chair in order to avoid the huge Black Mamba that had invaded his picture.

"No, but I guess I should find out", I said. "Go ahead, I'll be with you in a minute."

As soon as the group was out of earshot, I turned around another corner. Luckily here I found a landscape picture. After casting a privacy charm and thus ensuring that nobody heard me speaking parseltongue, I turned to my little spy.

"To what do I own the pleasure of your visit?"  
The Black Mamba raised its head and was now able to look me into the eyes. "You told us to keep an eye open for anything suspicious around the school", it said with a hissing accent. "Now, one of my kind has heard a few professors talking about a student being attacked. He was turned to stone. The name was Adrian Bradley."

I nodded. "Thank you. Tell your friends I appreciate the effort."

The Mamba turned to leave and I made my way to the classroom again.

Of course the latest Quidditch game had been won by Gryffindor. But during to my warning the twins had been able to keep the bludgers in check. Harry hadn't been hurt at all. Without him ending up in the hospital wing Colin Creevy wouldn't visit and thus the heir had to choose another victim. Still he had only been petrified, which proved that the Basilisk did keep his promise of not killing anybody.

Upon entering the potions classroom I noticed that the instructions on the blackboard where those needed for the forgetfulness potion. It was only a recap from last year, easy enough to fulfill. Maybe Snape _did _have some heart after all and went easy on us on the day after the first real attack. Then again it was entirely possible that he just favorited his beloved Slytherin-Ravenclaw mix. Anyway, I was working together with Zabini and everything was perfectly well. Blaise just came back from the cupboard, bringing with him the bug eyes we needed and I was turning my back on the cauldron for a second to slice some roots. Suddenly however someone let out a loud yelp and in the next moment I was shoved to the ground forcefully. Just a second later there was a loud BANG as my cauldron exploded, spilling its dark blue contents everywhere.

In front of me stood Draco Malfoy, covered from head to toe in blue goo. Even his face was full of it and he sputtered and spat because apparently during to him yelling when the accident happened some of the liquid had ended up in his mouth.

Snape was on the spot instantly, wiping the goo away with a flick of his wand and ordering Malfoy to wash out his mouth at once. The lesson was called to an end while Snape escorted Malfoy to the hospital wing.

The students were leaving the room whispering among themselves. Malfoy had seemed fine, why bring him to the nurse?

"Did anyone see what happened?", I asked my fellow Slytherins once we were alone.

Daphne answered first: "I noticed that right before he shoved you he was looking at something under your table. He seemed surprised and angry."

"But you didn't see what it was he was looking at?"  
She shook her head. "I'm sure he'll tell us, though."

"He won't be able to. That was not the color the potion was supposed to take. Someone must have added lace wings. Depending on how much he swallowed he'll loose his memory of the last few days at the very least."

Not that I didn't already have an idea who was behind that attack. It had either been my brother to distract the class while someone made a run for Snapes private potions supply, or – or it had been Dobbys attempt to save my life.

* * *

As it turned out it was the latter one because that night I woke up at one in the morning during to an uncomfortable weight in my chest. It turned out to be a dirty house elf.

"Goddamn hounds of hell", I cursed as I threw him off reflexively. "What the fuck are you doing here, Dobby?!" When I had visited the Malfoys I had barely acknowledged his existence but if he was surprised that I remembered his name he didn't show it. Well, maybe he cowered a little lower.

"D-Dobby is so sorry, Sir!", the elf begged and wriggled his hands. "But Dobby has to tell Charles Potter Sir something very important!"

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait till morning."

Dobby wagged his hand. "No, Sir, please listen Sir, Charles Potter and his brother are in grave danger! You must leave Hogwarts at once."

"Look, if this is about the Chamber of Secrets-"  
Dobby let out a high squeak. "Sir knows about it! Dobby didn't say anything!"  
"No you did not, but I would still advise you go and skin yourself or something because when the Malfoys find out you might have messed their heirs head up permanently they're not just going to free you. They're going to _kill _you."

Dobbys eyes went even wider in horror. "B-But Dobby didn't mean to!"  
"Do you think they'll give a fuck once I tell them?"

Every drop of blood left the little things face.

"Because I will, you know", I elaborated. "If you make one attempt to safe my live _or_ Harrys again I will tell the Malfoys and they're going to make you torture yourself for days to no end before they kill you. Do you understand me?"

By now Dobby was shaking madly and staring at me in horror. He nodded at me, unable to even produce coherent words anymore, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Thinking about all the ways Notch was of use for me I should probably tell the Malfoys anyway. Wouldn't do for my brother to have the same resources. Oh well, I didn't have to bother about Dobby being too useful until fourth year.


	9. Hogwarts' Hidden Library

December was approaching and the holidays were not that far away anymore. Knowing it would be some time till the next attack I thought it would be a perfect time to visit the chamber again. But before I would do that there was an old friend I had to visit. That was how I came to stand in front of Salazar Slytherins portrait once again.

I woke up the founder with a quiet parseltongue greeting.

Slytherin opened his eyes and was clearly not surprised at all to see me here.

"It took you long enough to come here, little snake", he said coldly.

"I have been busy."  
"Oh, really? Doing what, exactly?"  
"Hunting down that so-called heir of yours", I said leisurely. "The basilisk is working with me not to kill anyone but if this continues the headmaster might close the school anyway."  
"If it wasn't you who gave the command, then who was?"

I smiled wryly. "Really? You thought it was me? Would be a first."  
"I can't imagine your little followers don't thinks so too."  
"Yes, but that's because I make an effort to let them." I waved away his words. "No, this isn't about finding the culprit, it's about proving guilt. The Dark Lord possessed a student to do his bidding. The thing is, it's not the real Voldemort, it's a copy-cat. Also the actual student being blamed would give me political leverage. But in order for it to work he has to be the only suspect. I've always had an alibi but my brother was at the wrong place at the wrong time... If someone found out he was a parselmouth people won't ignore it anymore. I know that ability had certain negative aspects in your time too. Do you have an advise how to lead people away from unreasonable prejudice?"

Slytherin chuckled slightly. "I wouldn't know. As far as I'm aware the prejudice of parselmouths being dark wizards was only founded because I was one. Being dark wasn't frowned upon in my time as much as it is now."  
"But Hogwarts never taught the Dark Arts."

"No, but the way of Slytherin is all about accepting magic in its purest form. Dark or light does not matter. The Dark Arts may not have been an official subject but that doesn't mean I never taught it. In fact, my chamber was used as a classroom a couple of times."  
My eyed widened in surprise. "So it's true then. The chamber was really open to all Slytherins before."  
"Indeed it was. Who told you?"

"My new history teacher did. He's a vampire, named Amon Sibwayn. In my first lesson with him I learned more about the Hogwarts founding days then the whole 'Hogwarts, a History' contains. I would've never imagined that you actually taught Merlin. I mean, isn't that the sort of thing your house would boast about endlessly?"

"Merlin was already an old man when he came to Hogwarts. It was more like teaching each other then him being a student. In the end however I had to throw him out."

"Throw him out?" That was new to me. "Why?"

"He went too far."

"Do you mean him founding the Order of Merlin? It did stuck me as odd. That one of the greatest supporters of wizards living together with muggles peacefully would be sorted into Slytherin, I mean."

But Slytherin shook his head. "That's what they say nowadays but the truth is far more complex. Merlin was actually of greek origin. His family supported the Old Ways. They were not about wizards living together with muggles, but _ruling _over them. Greek muggles had once worshipped wizards as gods. In Merlins opinion they would do so again if we just stepped out of the shadows. According to him we wouldn't even need to enslave them. They'd do it out of their own free will because it was in their nature. I disagreed with him. While at court Merlin proved that it was possible to be seen and worshipped as a god by muggles but he was only one person, and a brilliant one at that. It would have never been possible for all of us to act that way. Muggles had killed too many witches to believe us to be untouchable."

"That... kind of makes sense."

"If Slytherin house prided itself with Merlin they'd either have to confirm certain prejudices, ruining his image, or they'd have to admit that the one greatest wizard in their history was the one who spit on all our traditions the most. - I take it your teacher didn't tell you any of that?"

"No, he did not. Although he knew quite a lot of details otherwise. You don't think he... might actually have first-hand knowledge?" I had been wondering about that for some time now.

"I knew a couple of vampires myself when I was still alive. It's possible that we've met. He'd use another name now, of course. I remember one Persian vampire with a similar one. If you want to check, there is an easy way to find out. He had a daughter, Medina. I believe he disowned her after she was bitten by a werewolf. Two years later she killed herself and in order to make amends he supported her pack financially. He might still be one of very, very few vampires who are not hostile towards werewolves."

"You sure know how to make a background check, huh?"  
"He was still young at that time. It was kind of a big scandal."

"Would he know about you teaching Dark Arts in the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I doubt it. As he was never a student himself his access to Hogwarts' knowledge was limited to the library and conversing with the teachers during our free time."

"But is it true that later generations of Slytherins stored their knowledge in there?"

Slytherin smirked at that. "No it is not."

That was a smirk with two meanings.

"No hidden library under the basilisks nest?"  
"Sorry to disappoint you."

"But... That doesn't mean there is no hidden library in Hogwarts at all, does it?"  
The smirk grew wider.

I leaned forward a bit. "Tell, me, Lord Slytherin... if I were to really _need _ a place that contains all past, present and future knowledge of Hogwarts written down... Hogwarts would give me such a place, wouldn't it?"

"My, my, for a second year you know an awful lot about the castle."

I chuckled. "Yeah, the only question is whenever or not Tom Riddle already cleared out the entire place."  
"He wouldn't have been able too. One is able to copy books but not to take them away."

I grinned. "Did I ever mention how incredibly awesome you are?"

"You're welcome. It's refreshing to talk to a Slytherin of your caliber."

I was ready to leave but Slytherin had one last advice for me.

"Do not worry yourself about prejudices other people have against you. The sheep do not matter. You should concern yourself only with the opinion of people who are close to you. People you care about and people who could pose a threat. Everything else does not matter in the least."

* * *

I spent the rest of the day experimenting with the library turned Room of Requirement. While in that stage it was even greater then the Room of Hidden Things. It was so vast I couldn't see the end of it, even when I climbed on top of the highest shelf. Books were _everywhere._ Soon I found it was simply to great to explore. That was why next time I asked for a quiet place to read. In there I could simply ask for a specific book or a book on a specific subject. The catch was that if I didn't spell the question specific enough I would get buried under a massive stack of books.

My aim was to find the right question to turn the room into something like a lexicon, or more like Google Search. For example for my homework on an essay about transfiguring a mouse into a sponge it worked best if I thought: I need the book that would help me best to get the best mark on my homework. A different book would appear if I thought: I need the book that would help me best to transfigure a mouse into a sponge. And again a different book if I specified not the best, but the easiest or fastest way or the best way to actually understand the process too. It would even open at the right page for me.

While experimenting that way with my charms homework I came into contact with my first parseltongue book. I asked for the easiest and fastest way to cast a warming charm. The freaking book told me to simply word the command 'warm me up' in parsel and touch your chest were the heart was and think about the temperature you wanted to have. Upon discovering this I asked for a book on parselmagic that explained how it worked in simple words.

It was absolutely awesome. I knew that normal incantations were often just words or commands, often Latin or English with a slightly different pronunciation. The wand movement replaced the visualization process, although it was still necessary with complex spells such as the Patronus.

Parselmagic didn't use a wand at all. Therefore the spells were less powerful but the incantations were ridiculously easy for a parselmouth and there were no real limits to it. You could invent all kinds of spells with it, you just had to imagine it clearly. Also you really needed to _believe _it would work, you had to have enough willpower. And even then things could go horribly wrong if you didn't spell your thoughts precise enough, which was why it was advised in the books to only use spells written in there. But if you could use it correctly parselmagic had incredible potential. The wards Slytherin had invented were that good because it was parselmagic. Inventing a new ward was one thing. It was like writing a coded message. A person just as talented could decipher it by finding out the code. But if the message and code were written in an entire different language, one that was as different from English as Egyptian hieroglyphs were then translating it was a goddamn pain. Decoding it was impossible and thus was bringing down the ward. For a non-parselmouth that is.

Which explained how Voldemort could be the first wizard _ever _to forcefully manage.

So yeah, parsel was awesome for warding. Unfortunately that didn't apply for curses. Protective shields were often specialized to work against a certain branch of offensive magic. There were shields against physical attacks and magical ones. For example a Protego would stop a stupor but someone could just throw a rock at you and you'd be helpless. Those shields came in different forms and levels to ward against stronger attacks. They would work against parsel just as well. But there were some very specialized curses that could sneak around them. Avada Kedavra was not one of them. It was simply so overpowered that there wasn't a shield it couldn't break.

But if you, for example, conjured a poisonous smoke or a vortex that sucked in all the magic around it, weakening a shield... If you conjured roots from below to capture you opponent you would get through because no physical shield covered you from below – unless you were floating in the air, of course. Those spells were time-consuming but they did promise the most success. As a parselmouth you could conjure all kinds of funny things that way, only limited by your own imagination. Your opponent however had to rely on experience and knowledge to protect himself against such magic. Eventually you would find a way to combat him that he didn't know how to counter.

This opened so many doors for me. But I didn't have the time to explore them all. The Dueling Club had been asked to give a demonstration and crash-course to the rest of the school tomorrow afternoon and I still had to prepare for it. I would come back here as soon as I could. I still had some experiments to run.

* * *

"Stop it!", Harry hissed and stepped towards the snake Nott had conjured.

I was on the other side of the room, still I froze and stared at my brother.

Fuck.

"Let him alone", he said and the snake stared at him comprehensibly but moved away from Justin.

I fought my way through the crowd although I knew it was too late.

How could I have forgotten? I was under so much stress preparing the demonstration of the dueling club. I myself had dueled the official leader of that club (and I won, though I couldn't be sure if he just let me win) and everything had seemed well. The afternoon hadn't ended in a disaster. Members of the club went ahead to instruct students on how to use both protego and expilliarmus so they could practice. Furthermore Draco was still in the hospital wing because he had lost two weeks of memory.

Still Harry had been challenged and by Therodore Nott no less. Maybe it was a Slytherin-thing, maybe he just liked to freak out little Gryffs but he had used the same spell as Draco had in the books. And so history had repeated itself.

"What do you think you're playing at?!", Justin shouted panicked.

Harry just watched him confused but before he could respond I grabbed him roughly by the arm and dragged him with me.

"Hey, what the – let go of me!"

"You goddamn fool!", I hissed at him, barely staying English myself. "You have no idea what you've done! Now come with me before everything gets out of hand!"

The crowd parted in front of us be it in fear of the parselmouth or of my furious gaze. Ginger was the only one following us.

"What's the matter?", Harry asked once I had dragged him into an empty classroom.

"_What's the matter!? _You just revealed yourself to be a parselmouth!"

"A _what?"_

I signed. "Look, when talking to that snake you weren't talking English. You were talking parsel, snake-language. It's supposed to be an heredity ability, one that only ever surfaced in people with Slytherins blood. He was famous for being a parselmouth, it's why his symbol is a serpent. It's also considered a dark ability. Now that everyone knows you're related to him it's like you prove you're the heir!"

"But – but I'm not! And – wait, but wouldn't that mean you could also...?"  
"I'm not stupid enough to try it now, am I? You may have been the one 'caught red-handed' by Filch, but I'm the one who was actually sorted into Slytherin. If people heard me speaking parseltongue too they'd probably expel both of us. Or worse, ship us off to Azkaban. That's why I don't even want to know if I can do it. Merlin, how could you have been that stupid?"

"But I didn't know! I didn't even know that I spoke snake-language!"

By now Ginger had caught up to us.

"If Harry didn't know I wonder why you did", he said.

"I've known since the day you set that boa on our cousin. When I came here I did my research whenever such a thing was normal." I sighed again. "Look, just don't do something stupid like run into another victim, alright?"  
"Like I did that on purpose!"

* * *

Of course that was exactly what he did the very next day. Justin had been attacked together with Nearly-Headless Nick and the school was in a panic. Luckily no one had yet drawn the conclusion that if Harry was a parselmouth, I had to be too. No one but Dumbledore, apparently.

The Bloody Baron had warned me in time. Apparently Dumbledore had questioned Snape whenever I was a parselmouth too.

"What are you doing here?", Harry asked confused when he came out of Dumbldedores office.

"I could ask you the same question", I said smoothly.

I hadn't been present when Justin was found but what had to be only ten minutes later my head of house had dragged me here because the headmaster wanted to see me.

"Back to your common room, Potter!", Snape snapped in Harrys direction. Off he went and I took his place in the office.

"You wanted to see me, headmaster?", I asked politely and sat down on the chair offered to me.

"Why yes, hello my dear boy", Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling. For a moment I asked myself whenever he had forgotten our last less then friendly meeting.

"Would you like a lemon drop?"

"No, thank you, Sir."

"I presume you wonder why I called you here today?"

"I'm sure you can't wait to tell me."

Dumbldedore gave me a small smile. "Your brother has stirred up quite a bit of chaos."  
"Then this is about my brother?"

"Not entirely. Were you aware that he is a parselmouth?"

"I do not see what it is to you", I said coldly.

"No need to be so hostile. I do not believe that your brother has anything to do with the latest incidents."

"Then you believe it was me?"

"Do I have any reason to?"  
Oh, he was good. I guess having to live with Snape under one (admittedly gigantic) roof would teach that to a person. He knew how to talk with a Slytherin.

"Of course not. But why else would you call me here?"

"Actually I was wondering if you could do me a favor. Rumors tell that you are well known and liked among the Slytherins. This is the second attack we had and we are no closer to catching the culprit. Maybe you could ask around a bit?"

"Oh? So you do believe in rumors after all?"

"I think myself capable of distinguishing between made-up rumors and those that held a little bit of truth."

"So if I were to tell you I heard a rumor that a ickle little Hufflepuff or Gryffindor first year was the heir of Slytherin, would you believe me?"

Dumbledore tilted his head slightly. "In all honesty, probably not."

"You wouldn't even keep watch over that first year?"

"That would be very unfair towards that student. Just look how your brother is suffering because of it. Would you do that to an innocent first year?"

"See, Professor Dumbledore, I don't believe in the rumor either that you've laced your lemon drops with Veritaserium. I still didn't take one."

I doubt Dumbledore found that as funny as I did but it got me out of his office. Finally.

* * *

I had two days left until the winter holidays. I had a vague idea where to go for these but in order to be sure I had to check up on something.

First I went back to the RoR and continued to experiment with the Hidden Library. I called Notch while in it and he appeared. Next I called Notch while in my dorm and told him how to access the room. We could go there without problem. Finally I told him to go to the Hidden Library and get me a specific book.

That worked too.

Elated I told him to copy me information on how to cast freezing charms from the room. Within three minutes he was back again, delivering the information.

And thus there it was, my portable google search.

"Alright Notch", I told the elf, "we'll do this the same way like we do notching. Once I say the code word _'Shesus_' you will appear next to me, but invisible. Then I will specify the information I want and you are to look it up in the Hidden Library, copy it on a piece of paper and slip it to me so no one will notice." Again the word was parsel and meant 'lexicon', it was easy to remember for me but sounded like a spell to everyone else. "Make sure you always have some paper on your person for this purpose. Oh, and something else. You're still staying with the Hogwarts elves, aren't you?"  
"Yes, Charles Potter Sir", the elf said.

"Well, quit it. People start noticing me and I don't want you to be questioned. For that matter, if someone asks about me you know what to do, don't you?"  
"Notch will say nothing and pretend he doesn't know Master at all", the small creature answered dutifully.

"Exactly. However, should they force you to answer I want you to flee. If that's not possible, fight. Kill, if necessary. If it's still too much, die. Just hold your breath or something, you'll find a way. Understood?"

Notch looked up to me with something akin to horror, but nodded anyway.

"Notch will do what master asks. Notch would gladly die if it meant protecting Masters secrets."  
"And that's why I like you so much", I smiled and that little gesture was enough to make the elf beam at me with happiness again.

"There is a cave near Hogsmeade. I owl-ordered some basic furniture and a few anchor stones for wards, such as temperature, weather, vermin and muggle-repelling. They will be delivered during the next two days in Lancester Road 34." That was an abandoned warehouse in Edinburgh, an entirely random place. "I want you to wait there and get it and set it up in the cave, make it a homey place. You are to live there and keep it clean. I will try to purchase the property during holidays too. It is to stay a secret."

Notch nodded and left to do as I told him.

In the afternoon I put another strategy to a test. I had commanded Nott and Greengrass to create a quiz with questions about all subjects. They could be about OWl-stuff as well, as longs as they knew the solutions themselves. However it should mainly focus on defensive and offensive magic. During the last dueling session before the holidays I had everyone take that test, including me.

Hopkins and Davis were to make sure nobody was cheating and true to their words they watched the crowd like hawks.

Now whenever I didn't know the answer to the question in the test I would whisper it for my elf and and he would deliver what I needed.

I was the only one to get full marks on the test. My title as top student was secure.

There was still one very specific information I needed and that was how Avada Kedavra worked. Nothing in the school library would have helped me with that but in the RoR I found a disturbingly great number of books on the Dark Arts. I guess it was to be expected. Books left here by students were either illegal, thus brought into the Room of Hidden Things, or incredibly rare and valuable. Naturally most of them were about Dark Arts.

I already knew that the killing curse was so magically potent that there wasn't a shield charm strong enough to protect against it. However in one of them I read a small note that said the killing curse caused immanent death for every human hit with it.

And I began asking, what about non-humans? There were some incredible dangerous creatures that were said to be very hard to kill. Like vampires, who, aside from sunlight and fire, had to be stabbed directly into the heart or beheaded in order to be killed. But would a killing curse work too? According to the books it wouldn't, since they were already considered dead.

Avada Kedavra wasn't destructive either. You could block it simply by ducking behind a solid object. It was purely magical and there were some materials that were supposed to block all kinds of magic. Dragon hide was a very strong magic blocker, that was why it was used to make gloves so you could work with dangerous potions and ingredients. But even a dragon could be killed with a killing curse.

And what about basilisks?

There were very few information on how to kill a basilisk. Not only because the creatures themselves were so rare but also because hardly anyone had succeeded at such a task. But none of the legendary basilisk slayings I found in history books spoke about them being defeated by a spell. It was always a physical attack, in most cases a stab through an eye that went right up through the brain. The reason was that their skin was one of the most potent magic blockers in existence. Maybe if you could avada it in the eye or the mouth it would work but it was far easier to enchant a spear to penetrate the eye instead of aiming a spell at the spot. You had to do that blindly after all.

I had to further experiment with that idea.

For that purpose I let Notch bring me to Knockturn Alley that night where I purchased a diamante dagger (that was one of the few non-goblin materials that could cut basilisk hide). Then I notched into the antechamber of the Chamber of Secrets. The gigantic skin was still there. I conjured a little cage and transfigured a small rock into a mouse.

Then I began practicing Avada Kedavra.

It was harder then one would think. I knew that purpose was essential but simply being indifferent to the mouse' life wasn't enough. You had to really hate the blasted thing.

Let's say after two hours of unsuccessful trying I did.

I killed another five rock-turned-into-mice before I was confident that I could continue my experiment. I took the cage with the mouse and placed it under a patch of basilisk skin. Then I stood with Notch right next to me.

"Ready yourself", I told the elf. "Should the curse rebound, I want you to notch me over to the other side of the room immediately."

I faced the little cage and raised my wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

The green beam of light shot forward, met the patch of skin – and exploded in a small shower of green sparks.

I felt how Notch apparated me away but he wouldn't have needed to. The sparks were nowhere close enough to reach me. It wasn't an actual rebounding but when I checked the mouse was still pretty much alive.

I felt a wide, probably slightly insane grin spread on my face. I drew the diamante dagger and stepped towards the skin. During my holidays I planned on visiting the goblin nation. With a little bit of luck they would be able to make me a nice armor out of this.


	10. The Diary

It was the last day of school and I was just falling into line with almost the entire school on their way to the Hogwarts Express. Even from Slytherin house where everyone was of pure blood and didn't have to fear the heir the majority left for their homes. One of the few who didn't was Malfoy, whose father had business to do and his two goons who never left his side (except if I demanded it). But he was not the only one to come and say goodbye when the time came. I had done so with my brother the other day but I was surprised to see that the Weasley twins were waiting for me too.

"Could we-"  
"-have a word with you?", they asked.

I nodded and lead them a few steps aside.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, we figured, since you saved Harrys live and all that..."  
"... it might only be fair to give you a warning."

"Warning me? For what?"

"Harry thinks that Malfoy might be the heir of Slytherin."

I snorted. "Of course he does. What a fool."  
"Yeah, well, he's decided to check."

"Found that book about a certain potion in the library..."  
"Messed it up, of course, couldn't even find all the ingredients."  
"We found out though Ron and he got us to help them."  
"Promised us all of the candy they'd get to Christmas."  
"So yeah, we figured we'd warn you. If there's anything the Malfoy brat is hiding, it's going to come out soon."

"Huh? What kind of potion would make him spill his secrets? You haven't found Dumbldedores secret store of Veritaserum, have you? Or are you going to polyjuice yourself as Slytherins?" I widened my eyes as if them exchanging that glance lead me to the conclusion my joke was actually the truth.

"Wait, that's what you gonna do? This is insane! That potion is incredibly dangerous and complex! Only one mistake and it could go horribly wrong! Not to mention that they'd probably expel you for even trying."

"Well, we couldn't exactly ask a potions genius such as yourself for help, could we?"

"You could've just _asked _me. I know for a fact that Malfoy's not the heir. He was with me or one of my friends every time there was an attack. And anyway, if he were so stupid to tell every Slytherin that he did it I would have heard of it."

George shrugged. "Probably true. But hey, we get hoards of candy out of the deal. And if it actually works maybe we can use the same tactic on Lockart."

I snorted. "You'd have to find someone close enough to him to spill his secrets to first."

"Well, yes... You said something about a secret story of Veritaserum?"  
"According to rumors he laces his lemon drops with it. But shh, you don't have that from me."

The twins snickered and I bid them farewell before entering the train. I wasn't worried about Malfoy spilling anything in the least. I had instructed him to never tell his goons anything about me or our mission a year ago. That was saying they even made it that far. Which was unlikely, given the changes I had made in the Polyjuice recipe. My brother was up for a nasty surprise. But hey, he couldn't say I didn't warn him!

* * *

Teogar had seen his fair share of powerful wizards – or wizards who thought they were. He was the leader of the Russian goblin bank and there were always wizards who thought themselves important enough to talk to him personally. For the most part they were not.

But this time it was different.

The mysterious Mr Raven had turned up on their doorstep two days ago, asking whenever there were still goblins around who were proficient in the art of armor-making. Russia was indeed one of the few countries who still had masters in that field. Those goblin masters where one of the very few who where actually able to accomplish the ridiculous demand.

An armor made out of basilisk hide.

It was tempting. A challenge of course but goblins loved challenges. A master would probably do the job for free just for the privilege of being able to work with such valuable material. And that Raven guy said he could bring the necessary material himself! Add to that the amount of money they could ask of him and his seemingly willingness to pay a fortune it was really, _really _tempting.

But there was a catch. Oh, there was always a catch.

A basilisk armor would make the wearer practically invincible. He would not be harmed by most magical or physical attacks, if they weren't aimed directly at his face (although a helmet came with the package too, of course). He would be incredible hard to kill, let alone capture. If such an armor were to fall into the wrong hands it would be disastrous.

Normally Teogar wouldn't care about that. Human business didn't concern him. But whoever was in need of such an armor was bound to prepare for battle. Not just a duel or two, but war. As far as Teogar knew the wizarding world was largely at peace at the moment. The request had been made by a private person too, not a government. It was entirely possible that this new guy was a dark wizard who wanted to start a war for himself. A war that was ultimately likely to reach a goblin nation too.

That was why Mr Raven was the first human in years to be granted a personal audience with Teogar. It was his responsibility to make sure this guy wasn't about to start a war – or if he was, ensure that his nation wasn't in danger.

Mr Raven (and what kind of name was that anyway?) sure did have the aura of a Dark Lord. When he entered the conference room with his dark cloak billowing behind him Teogar felt a shiver run down his spine. There was nothing overly remarkable in his appearance – dark, somewhat messy hair, brown eyes, average built, around thirty years old – but his face, more precisely that smirk, as if he already owned the world made him think twice about underestimating him.

"My, my, such an honor to meet the director himself", Mr Raven greeted. "I didn't know you offered that kind of service. Is it the same for every first-time costumer?"

"Hardly", Teogar replied coldly. He tried to place his accent but he must have used a translation spell or potion. That reassured him at least a bit. Wherever this guy would stir up trouble first, it wasn't likely to happen in his country.

"You are here because your request is an unique one. If we are to produce that armor we are to make sure you won't misuse it."

"Of course, I understand."

"Then you are willing to answer a couple of questions for me?"

"To the best of my ability."

Teogar nodded and pulled out a small, yellow stone from one of the drawers of his desk.

"Please hold onto this stone for me then. It will detect any lie and turn red."

Mr Raven did so without complain.

"What is your name?"  
"You can call me Raven."

"Your age?"  
"31. No wait, that would be 30, when I think about it. "

Teogar scowled. He needed at least one truth to make sure the stone worked. He had been too vague with his name and how the hell could you not remember how old you are? "What color has my desk?"  
"Brown."

"Fine then. What do you plan on using the armor for?"

"Protection, of course."

"Against whom?"  
"Against people who'd curse me."  
"Why would they?"  
"Because I'm standing in their way. There are a couple of dark wizards that I've pissed off – entirely inadvertently of course."

Teogar nodded. He wouldn't get anything more precise out of him, he knew.

"Where did you get the hide from?"  
"Found it."

"Where?"  
"Now that would be telling."

"And the basilisk it belonged to?"  
"Don't worry, I saw how it was stabbed to death myself. It is no threat anymore."

Teodar thought for a moment how you could twist an answer like that to be not accurate. But if he saw it dying that meant it _was _dead. Right? Dammit. He needed to be more blunt in his questions, even if that meant insulting him.

"Do you plan on acting against any government or law in the future?"  
"No, not really." It was said in his usual flippant way but the stone didn't react. There was nothing else he could do.

"Fine then. We will take on your request as soon as you deliver the material. I will let you know exactly how much we need and what the price is. Where should any letters be sent to?"  
Raven gave him the address of a post box in Moscow.

"There's something else. I heard that goblin steel could absorb every kind of magic that would make it stronger."  
"That's right", the goblin answered proudly.

"Does it mean you could use it to make protection amulets too?"

He nodded. "Yes and the most effective ones are indeed goblin-made. However you can't just throw all kinds of shield spells at it and hope to get the same protection this armor would give you. Most spells don't do well with others. That's why the magic they hold is specialized in most cases."

"Would it be possible to purchase such an amulet?"  
"Everything is possible if you have the money."

Teogar explained the price classes to him and he ordered three amulets that could hold one spell each.

"May your gold always flow, Teodar", he said with that blasted smirk before leaving.

There were not many wizards who made an effort to remember a goblins name. Teodar was not sure if he should consider himself lucky though.

* * *

I was leaving Moscow with the feeling of a heavy weight lifted off my shoulders. With that armor to come I'd have a serious advantage against Moldyshorts. When that goblin had asked his last question however everything had been at risk for a moment. But I'd already experimented with the Unforgivables enough, at least for now. What I had planned for the end of the year wouldn't go against any law since the most damage I did would be through inaction. And going against governments? In all honesty, I hadn't planned that far ahead yet. All the other questions I was able to evade by not lying directly, like for example naming my mental, not my physical age.

But ordering the armor was not the only thing I did during vacation. Also I purchased the little estate in the wilderness near Hogwarts where the cave was located. I remembered it as the place Sirius Black had stayed during 4th year. As such it was the perfect secret base. And of course it was about time I got my own place. But now I was confronted with another problem: I was slowly running out of money. There was only so much I could take from my trust vault without it being noticed. Selling basilisk venom to the necromancers guild had bought me a nice puffer but it was about to run out too. I would have to think about a solution for that problem soon.

When I was back at Hogwarts I was greeted with the most amusing news. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were in the hospital wing, both sprouting multiple limps in places none belonged. My brother now had three legs and 16 fingers while only possessing one ear. Ron in turn had three ears, the third sitting on his butt. He also had four arms and ridiculously long toenails.

Madam Pomfrey had tried her best to rid them of the unwanted appendages but had to give up after her methods proved to have very painful adverse effects. She refused to treat them until they told her what had caused their 'accident'. When they finally did they got detention for the rest of the year and lost 300 points for Gryffindor. Ron received howlers three days in a row from his parents and was threatened with all kinds of things. Apparently they were lucky the potion had been a failure. Otherwise his parents would have had to pay a nasty fee. They were responsible for their child using an illegal potion with potentially ill intend after all.

Both boys were victims to much laughing, especially in Slytherin. We actually threw a party in the common room because of it. For some reason I was the hero of the day. I wondered if they actually knew I had something to do with it or if they had just decided to call everything good happening to them my doing. I didn't really care much. I deserved that party.

"You're very happy, aren't you? There're so many nargles flying around your head. Such pretty tings they are."

I turned around and laughed in surprise.

"Hey, Luna! You're right, they're very pretty. You _have _to tell me how you managed to get into the Slytherin common room." I spoke loud enough to not only be heard above the noise of the party but also to signal the various snakes that had spotted the raven among them that she belonged to me.

"They're not as well protected as one might think. Do you mind being my friend?"

She probably meant that she wanted to add me to her friends list. I nodded, even though I was not sure if she could. For a moment her eyes glazed over but then she was smiling happily again. It seemed to have worked.

I smiled at her and pulled her into a more quiet corner. After applying some privacy spells the noise became nothing but a background buzz.

"It's great to see you again. Has been a little bit lonely around here. How far have you come?"

"I've managed to level twice, I'm now at twelve. That makes me curious. Now that you're my friend and I can see the basic information on your chara I'm wondering... You're only three levels ahead of me, how is that your stats are so high?"

"Uhm, are they?"  
"Yes, they are! I can understand the high fame, that sort of comes with the package I guess. But your agility is ridiculously high and your wit is not to be sneezed at either."

"Well, I sorta have a special means to travel, so..."

"You mean you've invested in flying, like Harry Potter?"

"No, it's more of a teleporting."

"Wow, that's so cool! I heard you could only do that as of level 30! It's called apparating, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "It was a reward for a special quest I made."

Luna nodded as if that made totally sense to her. "I completed such a quest too a while ago. Now I can chose from three different skills which one to learn but I haven't decided yet."  
"Can I help you?"

"Maybe. There's the 'Blessing of the Wind' that improves the power of your spells and every group member within a radius of 5 meters around you by 40 points. Then there's the 'Song of Avalon' that will decrease the negative feelings of a target. Finally there's the 'Goblock's Dance' that will turn a target in up to 25 meters of distance into a goblock – that's sorta like a flamingo but blue – and immobilized it for 30 seconds."

"Hm... Say, that second one, is it just decreasing enmity or every negative feeling?"  
"It said every."  
"And could you cast it on an ally too?"  
"Yeah but why would I? Isn't it meant to make sure an enemy doesn't attack me while I stay back to support my group in a fight?"  
Evil smirk. "It would be a very good defense against dementors too, wouldn't it? Since you're leaving out a lot of the school year you'll come into contact with them soon. They appear during third year and are dark creatures that suck every happy thought out of you. Really nasty pieces."

"Oh! Thanks for the advise. I was wondering why they'd offer a group-based skill when I'm in single player mode but now it makes sense. I'll take that skill then." Again her eyes glazed over for a moment.

I pointed out a little Slytherin first year girl that was sitting in a corner by herself, not laughing and dancing with the others.

"Why don't you test it?"

Luna raised her wand and held it like one would do the bow while she played an invisible violin. Then she sang. It was only a few words in a language I didn't understand but it was beautiful. A moment later the little girl stood with a big grin on her face and went to get herself some butter beer.

"Looks good", I said smiling. Then I pulled out one of my new amulets. I had been planning on enchanting them with parselmagic but I found something better.

"Do you think you could cast that on an object too?"

* * *

It was February and I had a serious dilemma.

I was sitting on my bed, Notch (the snake) curled around my shoulders. In front of me lay Riddles diary.

Getting it had been ridiculously easy. All I had to do was sent a wooden snake to the bathroom and wait for Ginny to try and drown it in a toilet.

"Why don't you just write in it?", Notch asked impatiently after fifteen minutes of staring at the book. "That's what those things are there for, aren't they?"

"I can't just write in it", I answered, "it's cursed. It will try to possess me."  
"Well, then destroy it."  
"Can't do that either. I still have plans with it." I sighed. "I'm not sure why I even took it with me in the first place. Maybe I'll just drop it at the Gryffindor table. Ginny will see it, be afraid of her secrets being spilled and will take it with her again."  
"Well, problem solved."  
I scowled hard. "Yeah... The problem is... I _really _want to write in it. This may be my only chance to hold a civilized conversation with Voldemort without him being able to harm me."

Before Notch could answer I continued: "But then, what if my desire to write in it isn't my own? What if there are compulsion spells on it? Actually, I'm pretty sure there are."

"It's to early for this", Notch complained. "Write in it or put it back but you should do it soon."

"No, I won't write in it. I need some means to protect my mind first. Occlumency will help but there are all kinds of amulets for compulsion resistance... Notch!"  
"Yes?"  
"Not you, the elf."

My house elf became visible just next to my bed. "Master has called Notch?"

"Notch, go to the Room of Hidden Things and bring me an amulet that will protect me from being influenced when I interact with a horcrux."

Notch bowed deeply and was gone with a puff. He may not know what a horcrux was but when he posed that question to the room he would get the desired object anyway.

Five minutes later Notch was back with a heavy golden necklace. I cast several diagnosis charms on it but could only decipher half of what it did. Protection against mind reading, oblivating, confusing and compulsion charms and even a mild resistance against the imperius. As soon as I took it I felt the need to write in the book lessen considerably. Indeed I found myself half contemplating to delay this until after breakfast but decided against it. I would work on the matter as long as I still had the dorm for myself. I took off the necklace again.

I got myself some ink and a quill and thought about what I wanted to write. There'd never be such a great chance to tease a Dark Lord. I could throw all kinds of things at him and he'd be helpless. But I would have to be careful, he couldn't know how much I knew about him even before ever finding that book. I had to start as if I wrote an actual diary entry then.

Now, let's begin.

'Day one. I didn't think he'd actually fall for it but he did. A second year should know better then to attempt brewing Polyjuice. Sweet Salazar, he is so pathetic. '

I waited for a couple of seconds as if to think what to write next. But before long the ink sank into the page and only seconds after new ones formed.

'_Who is pathetic?'_

This time I waited a little longer before answering. I took the necklace again, wondering if he would feel his grip on me lessen.

'The idiot who brought you to this school is. Who would be so stupid to write to a thinking book without protection?'

'_Certainly you wouldn't. However I can assure you that I am not dangerous.'_

'Said the snake to the mouse.'

_'Are you a mouse?'_

'I know what they taste like.' I chuckled slightly.

_'I am but a prisoner in this book. All I can do is write back to people."_

'You must have been a hell of a bad guy to deserve such a fate.'  
Now the scribbling seemed to become more forceful: _'It is nothing I did but rather something I know. Knowledge that certain people don't want to get out into the open_.'

Should I play dumb some more? Nah, it was getting boring.

'You mean the Chamber of Secrets.'

_'How do you know about it?'_

'I am a Slytherin, thank-you-very much. Whoever was writing to you before must have told you that it has been opened again.'

_'Then history is repeating itself. Tell me, boy, what is your name and where did you find my diary?'  
_'For you, that's Professor Snape and I do not like being called a boy.'

For a few moments there was nothing. Then:  
_'I apologize, Sir. It was not my intention to insult you.'_

I kept him in suspense for a few more moments before writing:  
'Ha! You fell for it.'

_'That was not very nice.'_

'No but it was the truth, I do really not like being called a boy. And I don't like the prospect of giving an object that can think for itself without me being able to see where it has its brain my name. If you absolutely have to, you can call me Lestat.'

That name came to me out of the blue. It sounded kind of like a pureblood name and I needed a new one so he couldn't tell Ginny about me.

_'Very well, Lestat. You are as cautious as you are clever. My house can be proud to have someone like you among it.'_

'Quit the flattering, I don't swing that way. Tell me what you know about the Chamber.'

Oh how I would love to see his pretty face contorted in anger! Alas, I had to be content with that angry hook to his g's.

_'This is not the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened. In my fifth year at Hogwarts similar attacks happened. A girl died and they almost closed the school but the culprit was never punished.'_

'Wasn't punished but that doesn't mean he wasn't found. That's what you got your special awards for, wasn't it?'  
_'How do you-'  
_'I saw it in the trophy room. It fit the date on this diary and the initials, Tom Marvolo Riddle. You said you're a Slytherin yourself, but your last name doesn't ring a bell with me.'

Oh, he must be fuming with anger by now. Such a shame I couldn't see his face.

_'I myself am a halfblood, unfortunately. I had to find the culprit or they would've closed the school.'_

'So you blamed some poor sod in hope the heir would take the chance? What a very Slytherin thing to do.'  
_'I won't even ask how you came to that conclusion.'_

'Simple. You're talking about a culprit, not about the heir of Slytherin. Sounds like a scapegoat to me. I happen to know that the one being blamed for the incident you speak of is Rubeus Hagrid, our gamekeeper. I watched some ministry officials arrest him yesterday. That giant oaf could never possibly have enough intelligence to cover op so many petrifications and neither does he have the magic necessary to do something like that. Whatever guardian Slytheirn has down there is bound to be far too proud to be controlled by someone like him and that's not even counting the sheer unlikeliness of him being related to Slytherin in the first place. Ergo, you blamed him and the heir saw his chance to get away with a white vest.' Actually Hagrid had yet to be arrested but Riddle couldn't know that.

For a moment the pages were left blank. Did I actually manage to render him speechless? My conclusions, if they had been conclusions and not knowledge, would have been brilliant. And he knew. He knew that for someone to uncover all that it was a very small step into assuming that _he_, Riddle himself, was the heir. He knew that I knew.

_'Who are you?'_

I grinned.

'I am the Raven.'

And with that I closed the book.


	11. Showdown in the Chamber of Secrets

I kept Riddles diary in my Gringotts vault for the rest of the month. Harry was still in the hospital wing and would be for quite some time. Unfortunately that meant he would not get the chance to be devoured by giant spiders. Ginny had seen the book in his possession on Valentines Day when Malfoy tried to steal it in the orginal. She stole it from him shortly after, but not before he hadn't written in it. In order for the timeline to stay predictable I had to give it back to the girl before Harry was cured.

Giving the diary back was easy. I just appointed a quest for a random minion of mine to start a fight with another one in which the second stole the diary, tried to read in it but couldn't since it was blank. They had to pull off their show in front of the Gryffindor first years in the courtyard. Then the one who 'stole' it had to throw it into the next bin once the first was gone.

Both students were unimportant enough that nobody would question them and I made sure no other junior Death Eater who could possibly recognize the book was nearby when the scene played out. I watched the show from a distance and sure enough Ginny came running to get her diary back.

The very same day I called a meeting with all my female minions. Hermione was there along with Daphne, Tracey, Emely and Lisa. I gave them a joined mission that sounded fairly ridiculous. They were to spread a new kind of fashion trend of make up, one that permanently required to check your reflection with a mirror. Simultaneously I gave a quest to the Weasley twins to spread cursed candy around that caused neon colored blotches to appear on your nose. I had noticed that Hermione walked around with a mirror in her bag for four month already but there was no guaranty that she would be the one targeted. It was safe to assume that the next attack would come shortly, now with the diary back with Ginny.

Sure enough the next attack did come and its victim was one Penelope Clearwater.

I had almost forgotten about her. In the books it had been a double attack together with Hermione, both petrified during to them wearing a mirror. This time around Hermione didn't go to the library because of some sudden realization and thus Clearwater was the only one being petrified. The last Quidditch game was canceled and two days after Hagrid was arrested and Dumbledore suspended.

It was time for the last phase.

Harry and Ron were finally released from the hospital wing. It would have been time for them to question Aragog but they didn't possess enough clues to suspect Hagrid. I had thought they'd still be on Malfoys tail but apparently, I was wrong. They were on mine.

Now I was really thankful for all the spies I had planted across the school. Because of them I got a fair warning. It was roughly a week after the last attack and I was sitting in the dorm when the Bloody Baron approached me. After I cast a few privacy spells he told me:

"Your story is about to unfold. Harry Potter is heading for the his Head of House's office. Apparently he is convinced that you're parselmouth like him."  
"Does he think I'm the heir?", I asked seriously.

"No. But he thinks it a possibility."

I sighed. "Thank you, Richard. For the remainder of the day I want you to tail Ginny Weasley, Gryffindor first year. Stay invisible but haunt her a bit. I want her to be a nervous wrack at the end of the day."

"Will this stop the attacks from continuing?"

"Do you want them to stop?"

The Baron looked at me intensely as if searching for my intentions in my eyes. I made sure not to show any.

"Yes."

"Than they will. Do your mission, Baron, and once you see her doing something suspicious, come back here and tell my little friend." I pulled back my curtains and showed him Notchs hidden terrarium. "He will find me."

The ghost's eyes widened slightly. "So it is true then, you are a parselmouth."

"What kind of Slytherin would I be if I wasn't?", I asked rhetorically.

* * *

And then I went down to the chamber and waited. I was wearing the Invisibility Cloak and hiding in the tunnel with the shed skin. I had to wait a solid three hours. Notch came slithering down one of the pipes first, alerting me of the visitors after which I sent him back.

Finally the entrance over me opened. Ginny Weasley stepped into my view soon. She was indeed different, her gaze cool with a cruel edge and her walk far too self-conscious. Of course she didn't notice me and I was determined to wait for at least another two hours before following her. But before I could the entrance opened _again _after barely half the time had passed.

From above I head whispered voices and furiously I jumped to my feet. No one was supposed to come down here after the girl!

A sliding voice could be heard and a moment later Gilderoy _freaking _Lockart appeared. He was followed shortly by not only my brother but ginger and Granger as well. Okay, now I was _pissed._

Carefully I watched the little group hidden under the cloak as Harry threatened Lockart to go in first while the wizard tried to make excuses.

"Boys, please", the pathetic wizard pleaded, "I'm sure we can find a way to get along... This really isn't the place for us to be..."  
I quickly discarded the cloak and put it in my bag before stepping out of the shadows. "Wow, Lockart, that must've been the first intelligent thing you said in years."

"Charles!", Hermione squealed and caught me in a bone crushing hug. "Thank god you're okay! I was so worried!"

"What. The. Hell!", I called and pushed her back. "What the hell are you doing here!? I told you not to stick your nose in this, didn't I? I told you to stay away! So tell me what the fuck are you doing here?!"

Hermiones lips trembled and for a moment I thought she may start crying. That was really the last thing I needed.

"She was only worried about you", Harry said scowling. "She thought you might go off and chase after the heir on your own. And she was right, wasn't she?"  
"Oh, and how exactly is what you're doing anything else?"

"Well, we brought a teacher..."  
"You're not serious, are you?"  
"Charles, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have told anyone..."

"What do you mean you shouldn't have told anyone?", ginger called and stepped towards me threateningly. "You knew, didn't you? You knew where the entrance was, you knew it the entire time! Harry, I'm telling you, _he_ is the heir of Slytherin!"

"You foolish, pathetic little Gryffindor, do listen to yourself! You're absurd!"

"He's a Slytherin and he's a parselmouth!"

"He's also my brother", Harry replied. "And he's friends with Hermione, who's a muggleborn. What reason should he have to attack them?"

"He could do it to impress the other Slytherins. Don't you think it's strange how they all fall for him? He's only using the Ravenclaw for her brains and she doesn't even notice!"

Within the blink of an eye I had my wand at gingers throat.

"Do not dare to speak about me that way, _bloodtraitor! _You have absolutely _no _idea who I am or what my aims are. You're a poor, stupid and untalented kid who lives in the shadow of his rich, famous and popular best friend and you _dare _to be jealous of him. You dare to be jealous when you possess the one thing he'll never have and would give everything for – a family. And now you're trying to take what little he has left of a family by turning him against me? Shame upon you, Weasley. Shame upon you."

I lowered my wand and turned towards Hermione. "Tell me exactly what happened. Now."

"They... They told us all to get back into our common rooms... It sounded like another attack. You had said it would be over soon and now it had been the second attack the week and I was going to find you... I passed that corridor and there was a new message that read: 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber for ever.' And I – I just couldn't take it any longer. I asked the other Slytherins but they said they hadn't seen you all day and I - I was just in a panic! I thought you may have chased after the heir on you own. I wanted to come here for you on my own but I couldn't – I couldn't open it. So that's why I went to fetch your brother but _Weasley"_, she spat the name as if it was an ugly insect and glared at said ginger, "refused to let us go without telling a teacher. So we went to the staff room but they were in a meeting and so we eavesdropped and heard that Lockart was supposed to safe Ginny Weasley – that's the girl that's been kidnapped – and I figured we could get him along with us. But he – well, he turned out to be on his way to flee the castle and tried to obilivate us so we brought him along too." She actually had the nerve to scowl at me. "You could've told me he was a fraud."  
"Seriously?"

She had the decency to blush and avoid my gaze.

"Enough of this! I want to know where Ginny is!", Ron said. "We're wasting too much time."

"You still don't get it, do you? Ginny is perfectly safe", I snapped at him.

"What do you mean by that?", Harry asked confused.

"Ginny's the one who's attacking the muggleborns. Ginny's the one who wrote the messages. Ginny's the one who opened the Chamber and let loose the so-called monster within. It's all her doing."

"Lier!", Ron roared and threw himself at me. I was caught off-guard by his muggle-like attack but I would've been able to dodge if Lockart (who we had completely forgotten) didn't chose that moment to tackle down Hermione to get her wand, who promptly bumped into me. Soon we all fell down in a tangled mess of limps until Lockart succeeded to free himself – wand pointed at us.

"What a wonderful story", he said grinning. "Charles Potter, the heir of Slytherin, kidnaps the poor Weasley girl and kills her brutally with his little girlfriend being his accomplice... I heroically slay the monster – I can take some of this skin to prove it. Unfortunately over the tragedy of his sisters death and his brothers betrayal you two", he pointed at Harry and Ron, "lose you minds. Say goodbye to your memories!"  
"Goodbye", I said tonelessly and pointed to Lockarts feet. "Bombada!"

Lockarts reaction didn't come fast enough and even if it had the only spell he knew was obilivate and that one couldn't protect him. Knowing the entire tunnel was unstable I made a run for it as rocks and dust began to fall from the ceiling. It was close but I managed to get out of danger zone and into safety while behind me all hell broke loose.

When the dust finally settled I could hear muffled voices from the other side.

"Is everything okay with you?"

I heard a silent cry. "I... I think I broke my ankle", I heard Hermione whimper.

"What about Ginny?", Ron shouted. "We have to get these rocks away from here!"

"Don't bother", I sighed. "I will take care of it. That's what I'm always doing, isn't it?"  
"Potter, I swear, if you dare to lay a hand on her...!"  
"You'll _what? _Write to your mummy? You're not going to accomplish anything from _that _side of the wall." I stood and dusted off my pants. "Make sure Lockart doesn't do anything stupid. I will be back shortly."

Things had gone differently then I had planned but not by much. By crashing the tunnel and separating us I everything was back where it belonged. Me and Riddle alone in the chamber.

* * *

The Chamber was empty. No basilisk, no Tom. Just a lone figure in a pool of water. A small girl with red hair spread around her and a black diary clutched to her chest.

Slowly I knelt down next to her to feel her pulse. Weak, but it was there.

"My, my...", I muttered as if to myself. "Quite a drama queen you are... Tom."

Not a single noise had been made but when I turned around he stood in front of me. Too much color for a ghost, but not enough substance to be human. Lord Voldemort.

"Who are you?"

"You've expected someone else?"

"Answer the question!"

I grinned. Of course he didn't recognize me. I had drunk an aging potion before entering the main chamber, my hair was shortened and my eye color changed. No scar of course. I looked like a teenager version of my Raven persona. Maybe someone else would've recognized the similarities but Riddle had never actually seen my brother or me.

"You can call me whatever the hell you want. Names are such ugly titles, aren't they?"

"You're wasting my time. Why are you here?"

"Potter won't come. Neither of them, I made sure of it."

His eyes narrowed to slits. "Lestat", he finally whispered.

"Oh, so you _do _remember me. I had wondered. Being fifty years old, you could've become senile early."

"Why are you here?"  
"To safe the day and get the girl?"  
"No."  
I smiled. "No, not really. I've come to talk to you. Face to face, if you want so."  
"How were you able to enter the Chamber?"  
"Hah, you don't wanna play with me? How mean." I gave him my evil smirk. "How about this, Riddle. I will answer one of your questions if you answer one of mine."

Riddle crossed his arms in front of him. I saw him glancing towards the girl (maybe the diary?) and back to me again (towards my wand). He wasn't even armed, I noticed. Hadn't he taken Ginnys wand? I knew he had taken Harrys in the books and after wards Ginny had not searched for her own. Was he really that stupid not to arm himself? Or did he just underestimate me (or my brother) so much? It was likely the latter.

"Fine", he said finally.

"Very good. First I'd like to know – when I wrote in your diary, were you able to influence me like you did with this girl?"

Riddle scowled. "No. At first I thought I could but then you broke my charms."

I nodded. I had already known that answer but I needed assurance that he'd speak the truth.

"How did you get into the chamber?"  
I shrugged as if that was entirely unimportant. "I'm a parselmouth. I'm good friends with the Bloody Baron. Voilá, hello chamber. Inside of the diary – how was that? How does it feel like?"

His scowl lessened a bit. He seemed to be genuinely curious. "Why would you want to know?"  
"It's my turn to question, Tom."  
Riddle grit his teeth. "I can't recommend it."

"But isn't it incredibly lonely? Isn't it _boring? _To sit there, day after day having absolutely nothing to do?"

Something dark flickered in his eyes. "You have _no _idea."

"Tell me about it."

Riddle continued to watch me warily. But he _did _enjoy to hear his own voice or maybe it was just that all those years had made him long for someone to talk to, be it friend or foe.

"Most of the time it was like sleeping. Not many people have written in me and those that did soon discarded the book as something dark and dangerous."

"Frustrating, isn't it? Could you feel them? Could you feel it when people were around? Could you hear their voices?"  
"No."

"Not at all?"  
"... sometimes I would feel something like... intents. Mostly of those that wanted to destroy me."

"Must be awful."  
"Do you really need me to say it? Fine: It was hell. Happy now?"

"Yes", I said and it came out almost as a hiss.

"You knew that I knew about the chamber. You knew that the girl opened it and that she was being influenced by me. Still you gave her back the diary. Why? If you wanted answers, you could've just written."

"There are only two ways this can end, Tom. It's either with your death or with hers. If you die Ginny will confess but without proof she will be held responsible for her actions. Her family will be dishonored and Dumbledore will loose not only his job but his reputation as well. The school will finally be free of this meddling old fool because he let a little first year attack half a dozen muggleborns right under his nose. If Ginny dies... Then it means that either you have killed me, which I think unlikely since you're unarmed and still only half-corporal or you and me have joined forces. In which case any repercussions are completely irrelevant for I would gladly take them on in exchange for such an ally. You see, I can only win."

Somewhere during my speech Riddle had begun pacing but I stayed still next to Ginnys unmoving body. I wouldn't move a single inch from my position from which I could snatch the diary at any moment.

"What makes you think I'd want to 'join forces' with you?", Riddle spat finally. "You have no idea who I am."

My eyes grew cold and I dropped the smile. "I know exactly who you are, _Lord Voldemort. _You're the one who has no idea who he's speaking to. Really, an anagram? Not that hard to figure out."

Riddles face contorted in anger. "You little..!"

"Technically it's my turn to question but I'll be generous and answer you first. You are _weak._ You are a mere shadow of yourself, you are unarmed and unprotected. Even if you did manage to kill both me and the girl and get out of here alive there are enough people up there who know of you and will report you to the headmaster who will then come and hunt you down. Dumbledore won't stay hidden for long now that a girl has been kidnapped. In fact, I believe he's already on his way back. Me covering for you is your only chance to get out. Which brings me to my question. Say you manage to get yourself a body. You only possess the knowledge and magic of a sixteen-year-old. You're nowhere near ready to take over the world and there's still another version of you out there. It may be a powerless spirit version but it's far older and stronger then you in mind. Exactly how did you think this would work? Is the world really big enough for two Voldemorts?"

"I _am _Lord Voldemort!"

"No, you're not. You're just Tom Riddle. You're just the _diary._"

I thought he'd jump me that very second but I held my wand raised and pointed at his heart.

"You've been separated for so long, Tom. Do you really think you could merge again? What if you can't? Do you have the patience to take care of your powerless counterpart? Do you have the gall to feed him, to wash him, to clean his arse like a humble _Death Eater_? And even if you did – even if you succeeded in bringing him back, what will happen then? Will he see you as just another part of himself like you do? As an equal? Wouldn't he see you as a _kid? _The heir of Slytherin... But someone who doesn't plan on dying doesn't need an heir, Tom. An heir would be uncalled for. An heir would be a liability. A _danger_. Tell me, would he appreciate that in the long run?"

"Stop it!"

"You were never supposed to come back, were you? You were supposed to stay in that diary forever. Maybe to share your knowledge on the chamber, maybe even to open it but you weren't supposed to come back. And once he finds out he'll hunt you down. Because there cannot be two of you."

"I said stop it!"  
"But you can't go back. Not now that you have tasted freedom. The book is like a void. There's nothing in there but yourself. It's hell, you said. Even death couldn't be worse. That's why you risked coming out right under Dumbledores nose the moment you saw a chance because you'd do everything just to get away from that book. You would even risk your own life and Voldemorts wrath doing so. Finally... Finally you have learned one of the most important lessons in life. That there is something worse then death."

"You know nothing..."  
"I know enough. Your counterpart is obvious... The stupid fool would probably create something like you again when he feels like it. But you'd never. Because if you were ever about to put a part of yourself into a book again you'd have to split your very being. You'd always have to ask yourself which half you'd end up with. If you'd continue living – or if you'd be the one to be imprisoned. You'd have no idea of knowing who you'd end up as."

"Even if that were true, what would you want me to do?"

"That knowledge is your greatest advantage. I think he made more like you. But it's not only memories he's stored in that book, is it? Memories simply replay over and over again, but you have a mind on your own. He must have given you something of himself. He did it again and again and what's left of him has become foul and infected with madness. You have the potential to be so much more powerful then him because your mind is still clear. You can't take on the world alone but you can chose. Wherever you want to share it with him – or with me."

A moment of silence. Then -

"What's your plan?"

I should have my evil smirk patented. I was giving it around far to freely.

"Once you got yourself a new body, could I still use this diary to communicate with you?", I asked in a businesslike voice.

"Probably."

Evil smirk just evolved to evil grin.

Hah! He had just given away his greatest weakness. If the connection remained that meant I could still kill him through the horcrux. But he didn't know that I knew that the part of him was actually a part of his soul and thus bound to his life. Still the way he had allowed his diary to just lay around, even in the books, had never ceased to amaze me.

Snatching the diary from Ginnys body I explained: "You will relocate whatever connection you still have to this diary towards another object. Then you can walk out of here with your new body while I burn the diary, thus getting rid of every proof of your existence. Ginny will be blamed for the opening of the chamber and I will be the hero of the day. We can make it a good cop, bad cop story. You raise your dark army in the background and I take over the ministry from within or something like that."  
"Very well", Tom said and I didn't like that smirk (Did he steal that from me? Oh, he so did so steal that!) "There is only one problem. In order to... 'relocate' I'd need a sacrifice. We can't have the girl survive."

Maybe he thought that would unsettle me. It didn't. Ginny the bitch had been one of the ugliest clichés to be found in the potterverse – the hero marrying the best friends sister. I would have preferred her to be traumatized in Azkaban but you can't always get everything.

"Fine then. Kill her if you have to. I'll find someone else to blame. It will be harder to believe though... I won't be able to hide everything about the diary. The thing _does _have your initials on it and Dumbledore would recognize your signature."

"And after I'm gone? You still have some time at school left, how do you plan on being of any use?"  
"I have to build up my reputation, get my own followers, spy on people... And for the rest there are the holidays. Believe me, I will be busy. I have a friend that could organize a fake identity for you. You could be enrolled at Durmstrang – you still have two years left yourself, haven't you? Not to mention to learn all about recent history and inventions. During the holidays we can make our preparations. You have been waiting for fifty years, surely two more are not too much to ask."

"Your plan doesn't sound that bad. I could agree to work with you – under one condition."

I sighed. "And there it is, the catch."

"The Potter twins."

"Oh no, don't tell me you're still after them!"

"I will never be able to rest knowing they're around. This whole ordeal was meant to lure them down here. I'll never get such a good chance to get them without Dumbledore interfering. You said you made sure they didn't come. That means you can bring them here too. Do so while I relocate the connection."

"And _that _is is exactly the reason why you need me, Tom. For a child genius you can be ridiculously stupid. How is my cover story supposed to work when you kill the boys? Who's gonna distract Voldemort when they're gone? What will prevent the light from raising and training actual heroes to make up for their lost martyrs? They're kids, goddamn, they're no danger! You have to stop being so fixated on them. Do you want the boys to be your greatest weakness?" I shook my head. "I'll tell you a secret, Tom. Life is like a game. It's like a story and in stories the bad guys always loose. They do _never_ defeat the hero and if they do by any chance then they become martyrs and the hordes will defeat the bad guy for them. The only way a bad guy can win this battle is by finding someone who'd betray the hero. A best friend, a family member, a teacher, a girlfriend, it doesn't matter. You need someone who wouldn't hold long speeches and give away all his secrets before killing the poor sod. You need someone who'd just stab him in his sleep one day without anyone noticing. It's hard to make a martyr out of someone who didn't die in battle. I happen to know someone like this. I can order the boys killed at any moment. But I won't do it as long as there's still use for them."

"You seem to be under the impression that I care. I do not. This wasn't a suggestion, it was a condition. An order. You will bring them here or I will kill you."

"And how would you plan on doing that?"

"I am the heir of Slytherin. We are in the Chamber of Secrets. Did you rally think it was a coincidence that the monster hasn't shown up yet? I can call it at any second."  
"Let's not consider the fact that I am the one with the wand and could silence you before you spoke your first word. I am a parselmouth too." The next part was said in parsel in order to prove my point: "What makes you think I didn't prepare for that kind of situation? What makes you think I'd be stupid enough to come down here without a fool-proof plan on how to take down the basilisk?"

A flicker of doubt could be seen in his eyes. My explanations had been rather throughout until now and not only had I proved to be a parselmouth but I knew what kind of monster was hiding here too. Was it a bluff? He couldn't know but unarmed as he was he couldn't risk it either.

"You don't believe me? Very well, why don't we ask him ourselves?"

I didn't turn around to face the chamber but I stepped back from Tom, his diary in one, my wand in the other hand.

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four!"

I saw Toms eyes widen comically as the mouth of the statue opened.

"_Don't _move", I whispered, wand pointed at him. Tom was forced to close his eyes if he didn't want to meet the stare of the basilisk. I wasn't sure if it would be able to kill him but since it had even harmed a ghost it was a possibility.

"You have caught him, brother!", the basilisk said ecstatically, his proud figure looming over me. "Should I kill him now?"  
Oh, that picture! That picture! I could roll on the floor laughing!

Tom was only semi-corporeal, unarmed, I held his very heart in my hand with a creature behind me that possessed one of the few substances in the world that could actually kill him. He had probably never felt that weak. That look on his face was worth all the trouble I had had during the year.

"Not yet", I replied to my 'brother' and grinned at Tom. "We might have come to an agreement. I might be able to forgive him for what he's done but in order to ensure he won't be a threat anymore I need him to perform a certain spell. Please, my friend, would you be so kind as to take care of this little book until he's done? It needs to be destroyed in case he tries something. Oh, and kindly close your eyes for a moment."

Riddle watched with something close to horror as the basilisk lay down next to me and opened its mouth. I held the diary right above one of its great fangs and grinned at him.

"I'll give you half an hour at most, Tom. After that I'll destroy the diary. Relocate yourself. You may use this coin." I tossed him a sickle. "Begin."


	12. The sentence

It had been a month since the showdown in the Chamber of Secrets happened. It was only early in April and I was sitting in an office in the Ministry of Magic. With empty eyes I was starring ahead, lost in my own thoughts.

"They're making you an offer", a voice reached me, dull and muffled. I was tired of all this crap.

"It's a ridiculous one, I don't think we'll even have to discuss it."

Slowly I raised my head."What kind of offer?"

"Really, you don't have do bother yourself with it, Mr Potter. I'll take care of everything."

My gaze sharpened. Mr Silverspur was my lawyer. I had hired him the moment Dumbledore had offered to defend me himself. He wasn't that good but he wasn't terrible either.

"What kind of offer?", I repeated, more fiercely this time.

"Well, they're... They're offering to let you get away to live in the muggle world and a fee of 1000 galleons if you confess. But as I said, it's a ridiculous offer. You're innocent and we will be able to prove it. After all, Albus Dumbledore himse-"  
"I don't give a shit about Dumbledore! I don't want his help, not now, not ever!"

"But... you cannot seriously consider taking them on on their offer? Even if your brother agreed to you taking the money out of your trust vault there'd be almost nothing left. Not to mention that-"

"I'm not completely obvious, you know? I know a thing or two about wizarding law. When charged such a fee one can chose wherever you want to pay it or go to prison. I believe it's two weeks for 100 galleons."

"But... that would mean more then six month in prison! Mr Potter, you don't know what you're talking about! Azkaban is most certainly not the right place for you. The guardians-"  
"I know about that, thanks. But this offer is negotiable, isn't it? I'll go to Azkaban. I'll serve my sentence. In exchange I will be allowed to return to the wizarding world. I'll keep my wand and return to Hogwarts."  
"I'm not sure-"  
"I'm only _twelve_, for the love of Slytherin, and there is serious doubt to my guilt. Yes, a girl died. I understand that they need a culprit but in a fair trial they could never sentence me. But I don't want a trial. I know bureaucracy, this could take years. I just want it to be over. If I start now I can be out at the beginning of the next school year. The exams were canceled anyway and I'm good enough to be able to catch up with my year mates."

"I must insist that you think about it. The dementors-"

"You're my lawyer, aren't you? What the hell am I paying you for? This is what I want. Make sure I can start Hogwarts at the first of September so that I can forget about this matter."

"Fine but we would need the consent of your guardians..."  
I laughed hollowly. "I don't think _that _will be a problem."

"Fine then. I think you'll regret this choice but I will do as you say."

* * *

Two days later I had signed an official confession. It was stated that I released a dangerous creature and commanded it to attack several students and kill one. Me refusing to tell what kind of monster it was meant additionally severity but that was being covered up by my young age, the fact that the family of the dead girl hadn't pressed charges and the fact that I was, well, Charles Potter. The ministry had someone to blame and I would be going to Azkaban for the next months after which I would be allowed back at Hogwarts. I had one day until I'd begin my sentence. It was all a little bit rushed but it had to be if I wanted to return to Hogwarts in time.

When I left the office I was met with the one person I wanted to meet the least. Well, one of the seven people. It was Arthur Weasley. It seemed he wasn't supposed to be here because a guy who I presumed to be a college was talking to him, even grabbing his arm to prevent him from continuing his walk. When our eyes met I froze up for a moment and stared at him.

He looked terrible. His eyes had dark bags under them, his hair and clothes were messy and his gaze full of sorrow.

I had taken his youngest child from this man. I tried to feel guilty. I tried to feel anguish or compassion or just simply regret. But there was nothing. I didn't care about Ginny and I didn't care about her family. If anything I felt guilty about not feeling guilty.

But he couldn't know that.

"I... I'm sorry", I whispered and looked to the ground. "I'm sorry for your loss."  
"How?", Mr Weasley asked hoarsely.

"Arthur, please-", his friend tried to calm him down, but he was freeing himself resolutely.

"I want to know how! Some say this boy killed her, some say he tried to save her... But she's dead and he was there! And she... She doesn't even have any wounds, I just want to know...!"

Maybe it had been a bad idea to bring her body back with me after Riddle was finished with her. But I planned on using the chamber again in the future and I didn't want to have a rotten corpse in there. And even a bastard like me was not such an heartless asshole as to feet her to the basilisk.

"She died quickly", I hurried to say, "and without feeling any pain." That might actually be the truth. She had been terrified, of course, but during the ritual itself she had been unconscious.

Mr Weasley nodded weakly and finally let himself be dragged away by his companion. He didn't look back at me. I think he couldn't. The way he spoke I don't think he believed that I killed her but that didn't mean he couldn't blame me.

Mr Silverspur didn't lead me back to the little holding cell near the auror's department in which I had spent the last few weeks.

"You have visitors", he explained when I questioned him.

"Who?"

"You brother, four of your friends and Albus Dumbledore."

"Which friends?"

My lawyer checked a memo he pulled out of his pocket. "One Hermione Granger, Theodore Nott and Fred and George Weasley."

"Fine. Would it be possible to sent them in separately? Except for the twins."

"Of course. We have all day." He didn't mention that it would be my last.

I had talked with my brother and the headmaster before being arrested of course but after they brought me to the ministry I had refused to see anyone.

Silverspur brought me to a little office and went to get my visitors. I told him to give me at least ten minutes to prepare myself first. He looked at me pitying and nodded.

Once he was gone I sat down on the next chair, hugging my leg close to my body. Then I began to chant silently in parseltongue:

"_I call upon my magic. Rise and cover my body from head to toe. Spread around me, five foot, ten and built a tent that surrounds me. Within that tent now nullify all foreign magic. Form a thin layer around me and reflect on it what is on the other side right in this moment. Hold onto this picture. Everyone entering the room shall see nothing but this picture. Now record what you hear. Record the silence and my whisper. No one entering the room shall hear anything from within the tent but silence_."

It was a far more complex privacy ward then I normally used with my wand but of course that had been the first object taken from me. Picturing clearly what I wanted my magic to do I added a few more sentences until I was sure nobody would know what happened around me.

I had only five minutes left.

"Notch", I called and without a noise my elf appeared in front of me.

"Master has called Notch?"

"Notch, I want you to go to Gringotts and get me the amulet I placed there three month ago. The blue one."

"Of course, Sir."

Notch was back only thirty seconds later and gave me the amulet. It was a small, egg-shaped object on a silver chin with a round sapphire in the middle, about half an inch thick.

"I won't be able to call you for some time. I want you to keep the cave clean and stay away from all humans. You can take whatever money you need to buy food for you from my vault. I'll be back in around five months."

Notch was the one servant who really took my dogma to the heart. He didn't question, he didn't doubt. He would tell no one.

That's why I told him anyway.

"A while back I made a new friend. He's currently staying with one of my business partners." I took an empty sheet of paper from the next desk and began to write a note.

"He doesn't know what happened to me yet. I should've answered to him ages ago. I want you to bring these two letters to the post office to be delivered to Nekrys and T.M. Riddle in France." The first was a recommendation from the Raven that told Nekrys to take Riddle under his wing but to never turn his back on him. He was to be enrolled under a new name in Durmstrang. I'd pay for all inconveniences later. The second letter was to Tom himself and warned him to stay with our plan. It also explained that I had managed to blame the Chamber-incident on one of the Potter twins by forcing him to confess, even going as far as altering his memory to make him believe it himself. He was not to draw attention to himself and lay low for a few month. At the end I added a fair warning for good measure.

"You still have the sickle I gave you last time I called you?"

"Notch has taken it to Masters vault together with the silver cloak and placed it in Masters chest."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Notch took the letters from me and vanished.

The last two minutes I used to layer the amulet with parselmagic. I enveloped it with a cloak of magic that never really made contact and thus wouldn't be absorbed by it. The magic warded it against detection spells and made it invisible. I had already been searched for magical artifacts when I entered the ministry for the first time but it was likely they'd to so again. I had tried it out, Notch couldn't appear in Azkaban just as he couldn't appear in a foreign Gringotts vault. Therefore I had to smuggle it in. In the end I decided to hide it in my left sock. It would make my walk a little awkward in the beginning but I'd be able to cover it up until I reached my cell. Now I only hoped parsel wards were as effective as everyone said. I didn't know if I could stand the dementors without Lunas protective magic to cheer me up.

The door to the office opened shortly after I brought down the wards that were hiding my conversation with Notch.

Harry entered and for a moment he just stood in the door looking lost.

He made a few hesitant steps forward but in the end just stopped and looked at his feet.

"Hi Harry", I greeted awkwardly when the silence became unbearably.

He didn't answer.

"You look like shit", I sad bluntly and that caught his attention.

I was right. Harry looked as if he hadn't slept in days. His hair resembled a birds nest and his eyes were dull.

"Well, you'll be looking worse in no time", he answered bitterly. "I can't believe they blamed you. Dumbledore knows you tried to save Ginny!"  
"Dumbledore is not the law, stupid. A child died, there are bound to be investigations. When I brought her with me I knew it would be difficult to explain. The diary was destroyed with no trace of magic left. No court that's good for something would take that as proof."

"No", Harry insisted, "it's all Rons fault. If he hadn't shouted that you did this to Ginny in front of those ministry officers they wouldn't have even questioned you."

"Probably. Now we'll never know."

"Yes, but why prison? I mean, you're underage, can they even do that? Dumbledore was so sure-"

"Would you just stop talking about Dumbledore!?", I called louder then I had wanted to. "Just stop it, alright? He's not almighty. He's not omniscient. He couldn't prevent Quirrel and he couldn't prevent the chamber, why does everyone still think he's such a great wizard? He's not! I won't accept help from him. On those rare occasions when Dumbledore is actually trying to help he just makes everything worse. I'm going to prison because I don't want to take part in a lengthy trial. I don't want to spent money to a corrupt ministry that did absolutely nothing for us while we were rotting at the Dursleys. A few month behind bars and I will be able to get on with my life."

"But don't you care? Don't you care that everybody will think you're guilty?"  
I averted my eyes in fake shame. "But in a way, I am, Harry", I whispered. "I wasn't able to save her. I was too late."

"Nothing of this is your fault!", Harry protested fiercely. "You must never think that! And I'll... I'll never forgive myself for thinking, even if just for a moment, that you had something to do with it."

I widened my eyes and looked at him with (fake) shattering hope. "You thought so too?"

Harry froze.

"Well, I..." he stuttered, his voice becoming slightly panicked when I stepped away from him. "It was just because of Ron and the parsel thing and... But after I heard about Ginny I was sure it wasn't you. You'd never do such a thing!"

"You thought so too", was all I said, my eyes empty, my voice betrayed. "My own brother..."  
"Charles-"  
"There you have your reason", I spat and stepped even further away from him. "If even my own _twin brother _doesn't believe me_,_ how was I supposed to convince and entire jury of my innocence? With only a couple of weeks I got the best of the bargain."  
"Please, Charles, I _do _believe you!"

"You doubted me", I said hollowly. "How can I trust a person who doubts me?"

"I'm sorry."  
"Yes, I am too." I shook my head. "Leave. Just – just leave. I want to talk to my friends."

Harry left the office feeling absolutely miserable, alone and guilty. With a little bit of luck he'd break up with ginger for good.

The next one to enter was Hermione. I really wasn't surprised to see she had brought a bag full of books with her, all about law. She was mad that I would give up fighting just like that while she had been working to build up the perfect defense for me. How was I ever to get a decent job with a criminal record? This would ruin my entire life, my credibility would be shot to hell and blah, blah, blah...

"Stop it, Herminny", I said when she was in the middle of her rant. "Stop treating me like a child. I know what I'm doing."  
"I don't think you do! I mean, have you really thought this through? Do you know what kind of creatures ward that prison? What they'd do to you? I don't think-"

"Clearly", I cut in, "you don't. Your doubt in my judgment and ability is appalling. I have always favored you, even in front of my other friends – and you know how they think about you. But you have to stop treating me like an one-year-old. Have you forgotten about the Code completely? Do. Not. Doubt. I do know what I'm doing."

Hermione shrank back from my harsh words. She was at the brink of tears.

"If I hadn't brought Ron along... and Lockart and... Oh Charles, this is all my faul-"

"You don't get it, do you? I _want _to go to Azkaban. I've been waiting for a chance to do so for quite some time now but they don't allow underage wizards in there, not for education purposes and not even to visit someone. Sorry to burst your bubble but you're not that important. You don't have that kind of influence. You can't condemn me to a life in Azkaban on your own."

She stared at me open mouthed.  
"You... But wh-" She stopped herself at the last moment. Instead she asked. "Will you... Will you tell me why?"  
"Maybe. But this is not the time."

She nodded, still looking miserable but not about to burst into tears anymore.

"Then I just... I just want you to know that I'll always be there for you."

"I know."

"No", she whispered, "I mean it. I will always be on your side. Even if... Even if you were really the heir and actually killed that girl... I would have still been on your side. You're my fried and... And I don't want to lose you."

I looked at her for a long moment.

"You know that there's no Orouboros, right?", I asked finally.

She laughed hollowly. "Well, I suspected. I don't know why you wanted to save the basilisk or how you really got into contact with it... I don't care either way. But it's nice to know you stopped lying to me."  
I smirked at her. "Well, I wouldn't have been able to sustain that ridiculous tale for much longer. In fact I had it fully planned out to gain your loyalty before you found out about it."

She hit my arm playfully.

"You're evil", she accused me but her smile was good-natured. "But seriously – I don't care when you can't tell me something. I understand that you have a lot of secrets and I don't even want to know all of them. But please, no more lies, alright?"

"Alright", I whispered.

She took a deep breath. "Good. So. Well... Did you... I mean, did you..."  
"I didn't kill her", I said and it was nothing but the truth. "Voldemort did."

She nodded and although she had said before she'd stand with me no matter what she was clearly relieved. "Thank you."

I hugged her close to me, finally feeling her tears when she buried her face in my neck for a moment. Then we let go and she squeezed my hand in support one last time before leaving.

Hermione Granger. She might be the first real friend in this world.


	13. Entering Azkaban

_I hugged her close to me, finally feeling her tears when she buried her face in my neck for a moment. Then we let go and she squeezed my hand in support one last time before leaving._

_Hermione Granger. She might be the first real friend in this world._

* * *

On the contrary there was Theodore Nott, my next visitor. He wasn't a friend, he was a follower and upon hearing he had come I had known immediately that he was the representative of all my Slytherins.

Theodore closed the door behind him, looked around to check if we were alone and pulled out his wand to draw a privacy ward. Only then did he bow his head in respect for me.

"My Lord", he said and waited for my answer.

"Report", was all I said.

Something like relief flickered over his face. I had always been a strong leader. Nothing could shake me up. Me being shipped off to Azkaban must have damaged the very foundations of their beliefs. But me giving out commands was a piece of normalcy and that was what he needed.

"The school is in a chaos. All the victims could be cured but no one saw an attacker. Everyone now beliefs you to be the one who attacked the muggleborns during to that bloodtraitor Weasley making a scene in the middle of the Great Hall. Rumors went from there and made you to not only be a parselmouth and the heir of Slytherin but also a dragon breeder, fiancé of a naga girl, apprentice of the Dark Lord and a whole lot of other ridiculous stuff. Some stupid Slytherin first year blabbed about you being the Hogwarts founder Salazar Slytherin himself reborn who came back to purge his school of all the muggleborns. The older years have been pestering us for details but we have been holding back as much as possible, not forming a clear opinion. We wanted to wait for your commands first.

Assaults of other houses have increased in numbers. Professor Snape is a great help but he too seems to think you the one responsible. The headmaster made a speech the day after you were arrested. He told us you were entirely innocent and only went down to the chamber to save the girl but were too late. He also said the real culprit was captured and no danger anymore but he didn't name anyone. Of course those words sent contradicted messages.

Lucius Malfoy has offered his help in your trial. He is displeased that your lawyer wouldn't even let him speak to you. He was the first to hear that there wouldn't be a trial at all and told Draco. We decided that only one of us was going to visit you in case you wanted to distance Slytherin house from the latest events."

I nodded approvingly. "You have done well. I want you to deliver the following message to my nest of fellow snakes, consisting of Malfoy, Zabini, Greengrass, Hopkins, Davis but also Turpin and Longbottom. I was not the one to kill Ginerva Weasley. She was being possessed by a spirit who had been chained to a dark artifact. She was the one who opened the chamber. She forced the guardian of Slytherin, who is normally a peaceful creature, to follow her commands and attack the muggleborns. I was able to defeat said spirit but it had already taken her life. The guardian of Slytherin has been misused. He was supposed to protect our house only. During the founding days muggleborns were an actual threat to the school, if not by intention then by association. I will not approve of innocent young children being violated, no matter how dirty the blood in their veins might be. The so called heir, who was just a halfblood himself by the way, did not only attack students, he also desecrated an ancient and incredibly valuable place. A place that I consider rightfully _mine. _When I went down there my priority was not to save the girl but to destroy the spirit and that is exactly what I did.

Me going to Azkaban has not actually anything to do with it. My reasons for going there instead of waiting for a trial or paying a fee are my own and will probably never become clear to you. All you have to know that everything is going according to plan."  
"What are we to tell the other students?"  
"For our enemies from the other houses: Remind them that the guardian of Slytherin is not dead. He is very much alive and he's pissed. Remind them that with the heir gone it's only a matter of time before he goes on a rampage and that fighting against those he has been sent to protect will not help their case if they want to survive.

For our fellow snakes: Tell them the rumor is true. And no, not the one of my having a a naga fiancé." And who even got the idea? Naga were human like creatures with the lower body of a snake. Until now I had thought they were only myth, even in the wizarding world. "I am indeed a parselmouth and a descendent of Slytherin. This is a fact that can actually be checked by whoever I chose to prove a point to. As for the other rumors feel free to strengthen them. Be creative in inventing some more. Make sure nobody knows what to believe anymore by the time I get back. Make me a Dark Lord who's getting rid of concurrence, make me the devil himself out to eat your souls, I don't care, but _don't_ make me a mudblood hater. To assume I would have such petty prejudices is an insult to my intelligence."

"We will do as you say. What should we do about Granger and the twins?"

"I've already talked to Granger and you can sent in the twins after you're gone. I do not expect there to be many problems. Now tell me how the club's going."

"The show that was planned at the end of the year was canceled, as were further Quidditch games and the exams. However less people then we would've expected actually dropped out. Zabini stooped holding Outtakes after the Clearwater girl was attacked. It might be possible to continue those for the rest of the school year if Granger called the crowd together."

"Tell her to do so. It is important for us not to lose any more ground. The dueling sessions should only continue if many people outside of the nest wish for it. Otherwise I still expect you to practice on your own."  
"I will relay the message."

"Good. You're dismissed."

After Nott was gone I had a minute to brace myself for the next encounter. I hadn't had a chance yet to determine whenever or not the Weasley twins believed Rons version of the story or not. Losing them, worse yet, making them my enemy, could be disastrous.

But when the twins entered they didn't look about to throttle me. They were looking only slightly better then their father, their usual grin missing and their heads bowed as if a heavy weight pulled them down. But I couldn't detect actual anger with them.

"Morning, Charles."  
"Quite a mess you've found yourself in, isn't it?"

"You could say that", I answered calmly.

There were a few awkward moments of silence.

"Well, what are you going there?", the twin I decided was George asked. "There're lot's of people who could bust you out." Was there a hint of bitterness?

"I may not have been the one to kill Ginny", I replied seriously. "But I might as well have been. I knew where the chamber was and how to open it. Yet I didn't say anything because I wanted to catch the heir. Doing so was more important to me then protecting the lifes of the students. They were only petrified after all, or so I thought. I only realized my mistake when it was too late. I hope that by serving my sentence I might be able to pay for it as well as calm some of the hostile feelings your family might have towards me."

"Well, you'll have no success concerning Ron", Fred said. "He's vowed to take vengeance and he doesn't believe that she was possessed at all. According to him you're the devil incarnate who came down to haunt him personally."

I barely hold back a snort. Did he even realize that he was playing into my hands with that behavior? People who were out looking for evil in me would first search for someone who hated me. By hating me for such a ridiculous reason and fanaticism he was destroying the credibility of the anti-Charles-front. If such a thing existed. Which I doubted. Well, it didn't yet at least.

"I'm sorry but I can't really bring myself to care about that guy. He's always hated me and he's the youngest of you. It's natural for him to search for a culprit. But what about you? What do you think?"

The twins exchanged a glance.

"We wanted to hear it from you."  
"I think", the other twin continued, "I think you should have done more to save her."  
"You shouldn't have gone there alone."  
"What the hell did you found that club for if not to help you?"

"But you did those mistakes because you were stupid and arrogant, not on purpose."

"You're an asshole but you aren't a murderer."  
"Does that mean... you forgive me?", I asked, barely daring to hope.

"Under one condition."  
"Next time you're planning something that big you'll tell us."  
"We get it if you don't want any teachers involved-"  
"-and we may not be the best duelers-"  
"-but we have lots of tricks up our sleeves. We might have been able to help you."  
I gave them a smile. Not the typical evil smirk, but an honest smile. Sweet Salazar, who would have known that by ensuring Ginnys death I wouldn't lose my allies but further ensure their loyalty? Harry, Hermione and now the twins – getting myself into Azkaban already began to pay off. I had been able to guilt-trip my brother, evolve Hermiones support from helping-out-a-a-friend to I-will-always-be-at-your-side and now the twins basically offered to make full use of their repertoire of inventions and distraction pranks.

The people that mattered – the people who could've been a threat to me – were the only people who believed me to be innocent. The rest saw me as a frightening, powerful if somewhat cruel young wizard who was on his way to become the next Dark Lord. Under this mantle I would be able to gather evil followers and plot with Riddle and nobody would to a freaking thing about it. Had the world ever seen a better double agent?

I had planned for this to happen with Dumbledore, sure. It was one of the main reasons why I wanted to go to prison, playing the poor, guild-ridden hero who couldn't save the girl. But to have this much support even from my school mates was a huge bonus.

"I will make sure to let you know if I need anything", I promised.

"You better do."  
"After all we have to keep an eye-"

"-on our business partner."

"Oh?"

"You might not know since you were stuck here but we've completed the quest."  
"Tell me everything", I said, evil grin back again.

"We've placed several bugs in Lockarts office after Christmas."  
"He's got a bunch of faked love letters that were enchanted to record conversations."

"The fool is the sort of guy who keeps that stuff."  
"Anyway, the conversation between him and your brother, Ron and Granger is on it too. We have proof that he did not only fake all his heroic acts but he also planned on obilivating them."

"As soon as you were arrested Lockart bragged about how he knew you were the heir the entire time and it was his doing that you were caught."

"We used the records and played the conversation for the whole hall to hear."  
"We had already sent copies to Dad and he pushed it through the right channels."  
I laughed at that. "You did rather well. I'm glad I'll never have to see his face again."  
"Oh, but you will", George said with a sadistic grin. "You'll meet him in Azkaban."

The laugh died on my lips. "Are you serious?"  
"Dead serious. He got two years and lost more then three quarter of his fortune."

"Wow. Remind me to never get in your way, will you?"

"Oh we will. Just don't forget what you promised."

"Of course not. I'll fund all your pranks for the upcoming school year. However I have a condition."  
"Hey, that wasn't part of the deal!"  
"Relax. I simply ask for you to never prank my humble self."  
"What about your snakes?"  
"They're fair game. As long as it isn't something that could cause long-term damage of course."  
The twins grinned and we shook hands on the deal.

After I bid them goodbye there was one visitor left but I seriously considered calling it a day and leave for Azkaban early.

When the old man entered his usual twinkle was absent from his eyes. He almost looked exhausted. Exhausted and sad.

"Hello my-"  
"I", I interrupted him harshly before he could even step in fully, "am _not _your boy."

Dumbledore looked a little bit taken aback but he covered it with a smile quickly.

"Of course not, forgive me. I have to say I find your determination admirable. Although I'm not sure if you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Why don't you just cut to the point and tell me what you want?"

Dumbledore took a seat and acted as if he had all the time in the world. It was infuriating me.

"And there I was thinking Slytherins liked to play around and search for the true meaning of ones words behind their phrases."  
"Only when talking to their friends and potential allies. You are neither to me. You're a _disappointment._"

I loved to break Dumbledore. I thoroughly enjoyed to see his world crumble around him, to make him wince and avert his gaze because he couldn't stand mine.

I knew where he was coming from. I knew everything about his past with Grindelwald. For the Greater Good, that had been his idea. Today he wouldn't sacrifice the life and happiness of thousands of muggles anymore but still he wasn't above manipulating events in a way that put little school children in potentially dangerous situations while the bad guys were dealt with. He did it on purpose, I was sure of that but looking at him I also knew that he regretted it. He wished there would be another way but there wasn't. Failing my brother or me was bad enough but when we actually blamed him he felt as if he was back at the beginning of the century again. He felt as if he was the bad guy. He felt as if he was still following Grindelwald. Not only made it feel him guilty, he was also constantly remembered of his friend and teenager crush. There was a reason why he never found a partner again in all that time. He was still in love with the Dark Lord. By reminding him of that connection I was pouring salt in those still open wounds. And geez, did that feel good.

It also made him indebted to me. He had hoped for me to be a naive little Gryffindor hero like my brother. Someone who'd forgive him his absence and lack of action. If I was that hostile towards him now, what would happen if he _really _screwed up? No, Dumbledore would do anything to make it up to me as long as he still saw some hope for me.

"I... I am sorry, Charles."  
"I can imagine you say that a lot lately. And it's 'Mr Potter' for you."

"Do we really have to-"  
"I'd be fine with 'Lord Slytherin' too, if that's better. Doesn't the rest of the school already call me that?"

"Maybe they wouldn't if you had decided to stay and tell them otherwise."

I sighed. "Look, headmaster, what do you think is easier? Convincing a few selected individuals that I'm not a murderer when the whole school is full of ridiculous rumors and prejudices about me? Or convincing the whole school that everything they've heard are lies only for those that matter to me to find out that some of the things are actually true? Wouldn't it be logical for them to assume that there's some truth to the rest too? They'd always doubt me and I'd never be able to trust anyone ever again."

Of course he asked the inevitable question: "What do you mean with the things that are true?"

"I _am _a parselmouth. Ergo, I _am _the heir of Slytherin, by blood and everything. I researched my family tree after that writing on the wall appeared for the first time. Potter, Woodstone, Lenard, Peverell I believe the line goes up until it ends with Slytherin. Since the male line died out long ago I'm just as much a decedent of Slytherin as Moldyshorts himself is. Actually, I read about ancient heredity law and do you know what I found out? Conflicts about heritages, more precisely who has the right to claim a certain bloodline that died out can be solved by duel. I defeated Moldyshorts not once, but twice, hell maybe even three times when you count Halloween eleven years ago. As far as magic is concerned that's more then enough."

I read it in the old mans face that he hadn't known that piece of information. Sadly I wasn't able to determine whenever or not this troubled him before he masked his emotions again.

"Enough of this. If you believed there was a way to change my decision you wouldn't have come yourself. Therefore, why don't you tell me what you really want already?"

Dumbledores expression became serious. "There is something I have to ask you about that day. You brought with you young Ms Weasley and claimed that she had been possessed by a spirit who lived inside of a little black book. The Weasleys confirmed that they saw her writing in such a diary but it was never found. The remains you brought with you fit the description. Sadly ministry officers had already arrived and took you away before I could probably utilize the clues you gave me. The diary belonged to a person named Tom Marvolo Riddle. You know who that is, don't you?"

"Yes." There was no point denying it. I had already let it slip that I defeated Moldyshorts twice after Halloween.

"Not telling anyone was probably a good idea. Not only would it have frightened your friends and your brother but it would have also made your story even more unlikely, at least in the eyes of the ministry that would like nothing more then to forget Voldemort altogether. However I think I might have an idea what kind of magic the book possessed. In order to make sure I need you to tell me exactly how you destroyed it."  
I had known he would ask eventually. I couldn't tell him that I had used a basilisks fang because I didn't want him to know what kind of creature the monster was. He had probably figured it out already but even if he did; me using a fang would mean that either I had slayed the beast (then why wouldn't I have mentioned it?) or I had allied with it and now protected it by claiming that the chamber had been empty.

At the same time I wanted him to believe the horcrux destroyed. Basilisk venom wasn't the only possibility but there was no chance he'd believe me able to control Fiendfyre. Those were the only methods I knew would work definitely. But did Dumbledore know too? This early in the game, had he already researched dark magic in such detail? I didn't think so.

I remembered to have read once that a horcrux could be destroyed by any means as long as it was impossible to repair physically or magically. It was just that the creator warded it against destruction until you needed a really ridiculous amount of power to get through. I'd probably be able to break such wards with my parsel magic but Dumbledore mustn't know that either.

"When Riddle and I dueled he wasn't solid. Not the entire time anyway. As he gained substance his spells became more powerful", I began to explain. "I could see it. I could see the magic draining from the girl towards him. It was like some sort of smoke filling him. At first I thought it was only the girl but even when she was long dead the smoke continued to come. Eventually I realized it came from the book that was with her. I tried to get it but he was faster. After that I played for time. I knew once he was completely solid he would be vulnerable again too. And I was right."

"How did you defeat him?"  
"Avada Kedavra", I whispered. It was the only other spell I knew could kill horcruxes – at least the animate ones. "He threw that curse at me and I reflected it. He was killed by his own spell. His body dissolved into smoke again and I ripped the diary apart with a few slashing spells. Riddle told me Ginny had tried to destroy it before and failed but whatever protections were laid on it were obviously drained of their magic by him."

"Arrogance, the Dark Lords greatest weakness. But tell me, how did you reflect the killing curse? It's supposed to be impossible."

I shrugged. "It's impossible to block by magical means, yes. But if you just duck behind a big rock you're safe, the curse shatters like every other curse would. I simply conjured a mirror in front of me to reflect it."

"I see. Charms was always your strong subject and you're quite good at transfiguration too. Most wizards look down on this kind of magic but you used it to your advantage."

"Well, what can I say, I _am _a genius", I scoffed. "If that's all you wanted to know I would appreciate it if you left now, Sir."

"Are you that eager to meet the dementors?"  
"Sure. I'll hug and kiss them till they'll never let me go again."

Dumbledore sighed. "It seems I don't have my way with words around you. I'll leave you to your own but I want you to know that when you reach Azkaban all you have to do is ask for me and I will do my best to get you out of there. Please promise me you'll do that when you feel you can't stand it any longer."

"Hell will freeze over before that happens but if that's what makes you leave, fine: I promise."

Finally the old man left. Silverspur returned and took me to Number Four where the Dursley had to sign a few papers before I was to be shipped off to Azkaban. Their glee on the prospect on not only being rid of me for another summer but also on me behind bars was disgusting. Unbeknownst to them I had set Notch (the snake) free in their garden where he would hunt down Dudley as often as he could. The muggles still didn't know he wasn't poisonous. By the end of the summer they'd wish for me to come back even if it was just to keep my pet in check.

My last day in freedom was coming to an end. Darkness enveloped the horizon as my lawyer took me to the forsaken island via portkey. It was raining profusely when we appeared at the shore. The cold enveloped me like a tight cloak and the waves crushed against the shore angrily. A little boat was already waiting for us. Two wizards clad in gray uniforms were waiting for us in it. I was searched for a wand but they didn't seem to be overly interested or motivated. The amulet was overlooked.

"The maximum security prison is a rough place", Silverspur muttered as we took our places in the boat together with the escort. "I'm not sure if you knew what you were doing when you proposed to go there."  
"I did it in order to shorten the sentence from the usual 20 to 14 weeks", I replied.

"I know that. But you will see that it really isn't worth it. Dementors patrol in that area far more frequently. The cells are filthy and the food is bad."

"Sounds like Number Four to me. Now be silent. It's too late to change my mind anyway."

"Indeed it is", the wizard sighed.

We had reached the prison. The guards, who were dirty, emotionless shadows of their human selves, escorted us through a dark iron gate. The cold was ever present. It crept under my skin and I could feel Silverspur shiver next to me. The prison was looming ahead of us like a giant fang, dark and rotten and giving off an aura of death and suffering. Suddenly he couldn't wait to say goodbye.

"Is there... anything else I could do for you?", he asked at last.

I hesitated. "The news", I replied finally. "If it is at all possible, I would like to get a newspaper once in a while."

"I think that could be arranged. Good luck then, Mr Potter."  
"Luck is something that does not exist in this place", I answered darkly. I felt the dementors approach. With each passing second I was feeling more empty.

"Take him to block B, cell 56", one of the human guards said.

The dementors were coming closer. Images flashed past me, too fast to take in. Darkness threatened to overcome me. I waited till the last second when the human guards lost their interest in me. Then I sent a sudden surge of magic right into my left leg, my foot and the amulet hidden in my sock.

Suddenly there was music. A warm, harmonic melody could be heard by no one but me. It didn't drive away the dementors who grabbed my arms with those rotten hands of theirs but it gave me nice fuzzy feelings and chased away those images from my birth parents arguing with each other, images from that time before they got divorced. There was a horde of butterflies in my stomach and I actually had to suppress a giggle. Lunas magic had done wonders to my mood.

Bathing in bliss I failed to remember the way I was lead until we passed another gate that had 'maximum security' engraved in it. The cells here were dark, cold, dirty and open to one side that sported heavy bars. I recognized some of the faces; Bellatrix Lestrange being the most prominent one. I was actually surprised that she didn't shout at me with her crazed voice or mocked me like a little child. It was only then I remembered those people weren't likely to get news in here. She couldn't know who I was. Her mind was not healthy enough to connect my appearance to James Potter and in the darkness she couldn't see my scar.

But there was one other person that did recognize me. I knew it as soon as he scurried to his feet, his eyes big as saucers as he grabbed the bars, staring at me with incredibility, shock and horror.

It was Sirius Black. It was the man I had come to break out of prison.

* * *

Hehe, this is the end of the second fanfiction! I'm not entirely sure if I'll stay interested enough in the story to write further. Partly it relies on your feedback, partly on my mood.

If I do, the third part will be named 'Do not doubt". Who would've guessed.


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